Just a month ago, Florida defeated Houston 65-63 in the finals of March Madness. The game finished closely, with Houston leading the majority of the game, until Florida made two free-throw shots, securing their third March Madness Championship win ever. There have been 85 other tournaments in history, originating from an Illinois state high school basketball tournament in 1939. Since then, the basketball tournament has gained millions of viewers, becoming one of the most popular sports competitions in America.
The tournament follows a standard single-elimination style. To allow playing time for each of the competing 68 college basketball teams, the tournament carries over approximately three weeks. Two rounds are played during each weekend, starting on March 21. The rounds are separated by name: the First Round, Second Round, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the Championship.
The NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, coined as March Madness by Henry V. Porter the same year, was held for the first time in 1939. The first March Madness tournament starred just eight teams. The size of the tournament grew over time, doubling first in 1951, a second time in 1975, and a final time in 1985, enrolling 64 teams. In 2011, four more team spots were added to reach the modern size of 68 competitors.
In 1987, the March Madness anthem, One Shining Moment, was introduced. It was written and performed by David Barrett, played after Indiana defeated Syracuse in the Championship. The song was written based on his experience in a bar with a waitress, when he made small talk with her about the Boston Celtics. He first wrote the lyrics on a napkin, coincidentally mentioned his basketball-themed song to Sports Illustrated writer Armen Keteyian, and later received a call from CBS Sports creative director Doug Towey. The initial plan was to play the song in the Superbowl, but was later switched to being performed during Final Four of March Madness. The song was further idolized when stars like Teddy Pendergrass and Jennifer Hudson remade the song. Since then, the song has been closely associated with March Madness, now played annually as a part of its culture.
As mentioned briefly earlier, the first team to ever win the entire tournament was the University of Oregon, though that was their only win to this day. According to Fox Sports News, the college with the most wins is UCLA, at 11 wins, followed by the University of Kentucky with eight wins. Kentucky also holds the top spot as the college who has participated the most, at 62 times.
This year, Florida took home their third win, after a long gap since their first two in 2006 and 2007. The team’s star player, Walter Clayton Jr., helped lead the team to victory, scoring 11 points in the final, bringing his average to 18.3 points per game this season.
The NCAA has a media rights agreement with CBS for the men’s tournament through 2032, guaranteeing at least seven more years of iconic March Madness entertainment—seven more years that will go down in history, just like the rest of March Madness’s milestones.
