This year’s March Madness tournament has been high-intensity, as multiple upsets have thrown brackets into turmoil and predictions haywire. In fact, a joint Quicken Loans-Warren Buffet venture offering $1 billion to anyone who could create a perfect bracket reports that no one has maintained a flawless record this far.
The chances of doing so for the entire tournament? 1 in over 9 quintillion, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“You can watch all the predictions you want, but sometimes you have to go with your gut. No one gave Mercer a chance to beat Duke, but I watched a few of their replays and they showed a lot intensity and heart,” said senior Charlie Franks, whose “all-out upset” bracket has been unexpectedly successful, though not perfect.
The surprise outcomes have created extra excitement for those following the tournament, according to senior Brian Lenert.
“When a lower-seeded team upsets a higher-seeded team, it’s really fun to watch. All the games are really intense, too, because there’s so much on the line—win or go home,” Lenert said.
From Mercer’s triumph over Duke to Dayton’s narrow win against Ohio State, the tournament is appealing partly because, with 64 teams, it offers underdogs a chance to shine.
“No one gives [lower seeds] a chance, but they still find a way,” Franks said.
March Madness can certainly be enjoyed alone, but groups also band together over mutual interest in the tournament. This year, Marshall’s track team created a bracket together, and other students compare their brackets to their friends’.
“It’s cool for me to see how well I can predict the outcomes of the games, but it’s also fun to compete against my friends,” Lenert said.
However, the tournament can be polarizing, especially for those who lack interest in basketball.
“I think it’s stupid to live vicariously through a bunch of strangers playing basketball for a college that they don’t go to,” junior Michelle Townsend said.
Nevertheless, the tournament remains popular: Smithsonian magazine reports that approximately 60 million people fill out brackets each year, spending around $1 billion on gambling.