Welcome to the Madness

Buzzer beaters, epic comebacks, historic upsets, and dominating performances – March Madness is officially back. The men’s tournament tips off later this evening, while the women’s bracket hosts its first two games tomorrow.

Some stats and storylines:

• While No. 1 overall seed and 2023 national champion UConn may seem like an attractive pick to win the men’s tournament, they’ll be facing an uphill battle if history is any indication. Since Florida won back-to-back national titles in 2007, no defending champ has advanced past the Sweet 16 in men’s March Madness.
• On the women’s side, the bracket is expected to be one of the most exciting in NCAA history. Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark is playing in her final collegiate games, top-seeded South Carolina is looking to finish out an undefeated season, and defending champ Angel Reese and her LSU squad are seeking back-to-back titles.

When it comes to gambling, the stakes are high. Overall, Americans are projected to wager $2.7 billion on the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments through legal sports books this year, per the American Gaming Association.

🎰 Fun fact: The odds of someone achieving a perfect March Madness bracket are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (aka 9.2 quintillion). But if you know a little something about basketball, the odds drop to 1 in ~120 billion.