March Madness is the annual National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball championship, which occurs every March. The top collegiate basketball teams, both men and women, compete at a high level in an engaging way that captivates people all over the country invested in their favorite team’s success.
March Madness is held over roughly three weeks. All over the country, people bet on their predicted team through brackets, where people track their results.
Junior basketball player Mika Cary is invested in the current March Madness tournament.
At NDB, many students are invested in certain teams and watch many of the games. There are around 360 Division I colleges in the United States. Typically, there are only 64 teams that make it in the first round, and it eventually narrows down to two. The tournament typically lasts around three weeks, as games are constant.
Another student-athlete invested in the annual tournament is junior Sammy Kakala. She has been a varsity basketball athlete for all three years of high school and also spends time being involved with division one basketball.
“I am very busy throughout the week, but I love watching March Madness and taking skills that I watch into my own game.”
Going into this new year of March Madness, many predict that the winner of this tournament will be either the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, Houston, Duke or the University of Florida.
Senior Anani Perez, another NDB basketball player, is also invested in the tournament.
“I am rooting for University of Texas women’s basketball team. I really enjoy watching them play, especially Madison Booker and Jordan Lee. I actually played for the same AAU organization as Jordan Lee, who is a couple years older than me. So, it is cool to watch how her game has progressed from high school to a top five team in the country,” said Perez.
March Madness officially began on March 17, 2026, with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. By Saturday, April 4, the Final Four will be underway at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. March Madness is a thrilling yet unpredictable tournament that lasts for weeks in March for college basketball fans. Students and adults have the opportunity to have a fun and friendly competition through bets during this time.
