There’s so much more to March Madness than simply placing March Madness bets and looking at players. Come with us as we take a look at a few interesting facts about March Madness.
What is March Madness?
March Madness is a basketball tournament that takes place in the month of March hence the name March Madness. The NCAA single-elimination tournament consists of 68 teams that will all have to compete in a seven-round match to earn the National Championship title.
Interesting facts We Wish We Had Known Sooner
We’ve all wanted to know a little more than we already do about March Madness. For this reason, we’ve come up with a few interesting facts about March Madness that’ll leave you a little shocked.
March Madness: The First Host
Did you know that March Madness was first held in Illinois-Evanston at Northwestern University’s campus? During the first-ever March Madness, 29 games were played, with a third-place game happening in each region.Â
The first games to be played were organized on 12 March 1956, and 24 March 1956 and were organized by the National Association of Basketball coaches. Well, it can be said that the rest made history as March Madness has taken the basketball world by storm.
The Final Four
Interestingly enough, the Final Four is hosted in a different city each year, making it far more interesting for fans and giving them all the opportunity to watch the games. The head offices of the NCAA are in Indianapolis, which is where many would expect the games to be held; however, the games are only held there every four years and are said to stop being hosted there in 2040.
Trophies
We’ve all seen the trophies that March Madness champions get, especially because they have a little gold. Well, March Madness trophies are made from wood and gold, making them perfect for teams who want their glory to last.
An interesting fact about the trophies is that they are named after James Naismith. Thus, they are called the Naismith trophies. Naismith is well known for being the inventor of basketball and was also a physical teacher, physician, sports coach, and Christian Chaplin making him an all-rounder.
The NCAA Didn’t Carry so Much Weight
In today’s world basketball is an integral part of the culture, with many aspiring to become basketball players and millions more watching the games from any device they can get their hands on, but did you know that the NCAA wasn’t always that powerful?Â
The NCAA was considered a smaller event and association in relation to the National Invitation Tournament, which was held in New York City. All the teams would compete in both however, the weight that they both carried was different.
The Big Dance Got Schools Banned From NIT?
Did you know that getting invited to the Big Dance could have gotten your university banned? In 1971, the NCAA ruled that universities that got invited to the Big Dance would be banned from playing in the NIT. It didn’t stop there; in fact, if you got invited to the Big Dance, you’d be banned from all games. The Big Dance is a nickname given to the NCAA.
A Recruitment Scandal Left a Team Having to Vacate the Scene
In 2013 the world saw Louisville win the Championships with coach Rick Pitino. Unfortunately for Louisville, there was a recruiting scandal that left them with no other option but to vacate the title.
The most-ever views for the NCAA were seen in 1979 during the championship games. The games were played between Larry Bird’s Indiana State and Michigan State, which posted Magic Johnson at the time.
Coach leader
Did you know that John Wooden is an all-time winning leader? He led teams to 10 Championships. The runner-up to the title of all-winning leader is Coach K of Duke, holding five Championships.
Conclusion
There are so many interesting facts about March Madness, with many pertaining to views and many more. The more years March Madness has held, the more interesting facts we’ll get.Â
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