College Hoops Tourney Brings About Bracket Madness

60 million to 100 million brackets filled out each year

DULUTH, Minn.- With the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament complete, there’s a good chance your bracket may already be busted.

According to the NCAA, around 60-100 million brackets are filled out every year. With those kinds of numbers, somebody must have completed a perfect bracket out of sheer luck, right?

Not exactly.

If someone were to guess on every pick by flipping a coin, their odds of completing a perfect bracket are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808. However, many fans use their sports knowledge and expertise when making their picks. In that case, their odds of going 100% shoot up to 1 in 120,200,000,000.

Once the games begin, fans will likely be glued to their televisions, computer screens and phones in the name of March Madness. According to a recent survey by NCSharp.com, one in five college hoops fans have called in sick for the tournament, while 26% have skipped work to watch a game. Tipico Sportsbook adds that 17% have cancelled dates and get-togethers like birthday parties to watch college basketball.

In total, fans will spend an average of 36 hours being consumed by March Madness. That includes filling out brackets, watching the games, and placing bets where it’s legal.