March Madness ranked among the most watched and anticipated events in the world of sports, according to the official NCAA website. It marks the culmination of the college basketball season, ultimately determining the national champion.
The event lasts three weeks, beginning March 18 this year. During that time, the best teams compete in the men’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament. The competition features 68 teams playing in seven rounds, all aiming to take home the trophy.
In 1987, businesspeople saw an opportunity to elevate the event to a new level, and its popularity skyrocketed.
Tim Gramling, dean of the Dr. Robert K. Jabs School of Business, shared that the term “March Madness” reflected a blend of business insight and human influence.
“The term was coined in a 1939 magazine article, and it entered the modern consciousness in 1982 during a broadcast,” Gramling said. “Businesspeople saw an opportunity, and in 1987 created an anthem of March Madness, and since then, the phrase has become a rallying cry for teams and fans alike.”
Gramling said that betting on sports is his largest concern around money and March Madness.
“This is a particularly damaging practice that can lead to terrible psychological and financial consequences,” he said. “For this year’s tournament, legal gambling is expected to pass $3 billion. That money could be put to much better use.”
Evan M. McReynolds, senior entrepreneurship major, shared that he loves watching March Madness as he loves basketball and considers that tournament the most competitive in the entire world.
“March madness is the penultimate of the basketball year with a display of hyper-competitiveness that truly reaches maddening levels,” McReynolds said. “The single elimination style makes each game a true fight to the end.”
McReynolds shared that he and his friends create a bracket challenge group of who can guess more teams correctly each year. “We have about 15-30 participants vying for just plain old bragging rights,” he said.
McReynolds thinks watching the games live or purchasing merchandise tends to be expensive, so he prefers streaming platforms.
“I will utilize ESPN, March Madness Live, CBS, and YouTube TV. All of those options are free, with the exception of the family plan that my parents pay for with YouTube TV,” he said.
Jonathan Griman Herrera, sophomore kinesiology major, plays on the CBU men’s basketball team and shared that he was not very excited about March Madness this year.
“To be honest, I am not too excited about March Madness when you are a player who competes to be in that event, and you cannot make it; it is hard to be excited when you are not there,” Herrera said.
Herrera shared that he loves the competitive side of his sport. “It motivates you to improve every day,” he said. “As I am a very competitive person, being around guys that work really hard motivates me to work harder and improve every single day.”
As March Madness quickly approaches and the basketball season comes to an end, Herrera shares one thing with the CBU community. “I hope to see you all supporting us during our next season,” he said. We all should! Lance Up!
