March Madness – the moniker given to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments – is here once again. It’s a phenomenon that brings so much hype starting the second week of March through the first week of April. If you’re a fan, then you’re probably excited to witness a live tournament. But before you head to the sports arena, here are some March Madness fun facts:
1. The tournament can be a time-waster. Since workers spend more time watching the tournament (making them unproductive), companies lose money. According to a recent data, about $1.2 billion lost during the first week of tournament.
2. Filling a perfect bracket is near impossible. In fact, it’s lower than your odds of winning the lottery. According to Wallethub, about 1 in 9.2 quintillion chances of nailing every pick.
3. The NCAA basketball tournament isn’t the first tournament coined as “March Madness.” It was the Illinois High School Basketball Championship that first used the name. And they’ve been using it since 1939!
4. Record for the worst loss is held by The University of North Carolina. The team may be recognized for their historical excellence, but they also hold dishonorable distinction.
5. Only one coach has won championships in both the NCAA and NBA. Famed coach Larry Brown did it with the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988 (NCAA) and again in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons (NBA).
