- It’s been over 700 days since the last March Madness (crazy, we know), so let’s catch up on some history. The first ever NCAA DI Men’s tourney was played back in 1939 and the Oregon Ducks walked away as champs. Oh, and only EIGHT teams competed!
- “March Madness” originally had nothing to do with college basketball. In fact, it’s the name of an essay written by Henry V. Porter, an Illinois teacher and coach, back in 1939 that captures the thrill of Illinois’ high school basketball tournaments!
- Who’s ready for “One Shining Moment”? David Barrett wrote this “March Madness Anthem” in 1986 about basketball, but it was actually supposed to be played after Super Bowl XXI. Then the game ran long, so CBS decided to use it for the tourney in 1987, and the rest is history!
- It’s not easy being No. 1. The Gonzaga Bulldogs may be the overall No. 1 seed in the tourney, but get this. They held the No.1 spot in the AP Poll every single week of the season! Yeah, they’re only the fourth men’s team in the last 40 years to do that.
- But wait, someone’s missing. This year’s men’s tourney will be played without Duke AND Kentucky and it’s kind of a big deal. It’s the first time both of these “Blue Bloods” didn’t make The Big Dance in the same year since 1976!!!