It’s officially time for the most exciting time in college basketball each year … March Madness!
Whether you’re a sports junkie or just a fan of your school’s basketball team, it’s definitely a fun time for all.
The action for 2013 officially launched on St. Patrick’s Day with Selection Sunday.
Now it’s time to fill out your bracket(s). You’ll be able to get your official bracket from the NCAA website (or your favorite sports news website). Check this list of key tournament dates from ESPN, so you can plan your schedule accordingly!
Because 2013 is the 75th anniversary of March Madness, here are some fun facts about the tournament I found in the cool interactive timeline that the NCAA has set up here.
Some fun facts about March Madness:
- The first national championship game was in 1939 between the Oregon Webfoots and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Oregon clinched the win 46-33. Click here to see the 1939 bracket.
- Approximately 15,025 people attended the first National Championship game game in Evanston, Ill.
- The first Most Outstanding Player Award went to Ohio State’s Jimmy Hull, who was 6’8″, in 1939.
- The first of five National Championship wins for Indiana University came in 1940, the second year of March Madness. The Hoosiers whipped up on Kansas, winning 60-42. Approximately 36,880 people were at the game in Kansas City.
- UNC won its first of five National Championships in 1957. The Tar Heels went into triple overtime while playing against the Jayhawks. Eventually, UNC was able to squeeze out a win, coming in at 54-53. The game was played in Kansas City with over 101,000 in attendance.
- In 1964, UCLA wins its first National Championship, defeating Duke 98-83.
- UCLA holds the most national titles with 11. The championship wins were in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1995. The Bruins won seven tournaments back-to-back (1967 to 1973). After that run, they came back for another victory in 1975. Impressive!
- UK has 8 National Championship wins, coming in second for most national titles, while Indiana and UNC are tied for third with five titles.
- UK holds 2012’s national title. Head Coach John Calipari led the Wildcats to a 67-59 victory over Kansas. UK went 16-0 in the Southeastern Conference and hit a record-tying 38 wins. The game was held in New Orleans with over 717,000 in attendance. That’s a far cry from the first national championship in 1939!
Even though my team has never been to a National Championship in basketball, it’s still fun to get caught up in the Madness. While I’m nowhere close to being a college basketball buff, it’s still so much fun to be involved.
From filling out brackets to enjoying some snacks in front of the big screen, there’s a little bit of something for everyone in the wonderful month of March. Let’s just hope the power doesn’t go out at the Georgia Dome during the National Championship!
