“March Madness”, the madness of March is back and, with it, the’enthusiasm that animates millions of supporters of college basketball across the United States.
Why March? Because’is the month in which the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are held.
The male table
On the men’s side, the very first NCAA tournament was held in 1939. It was a rather modest competition, with only eight teams competing. And the final was played at Northwestern University, in a half-empty stadium.
But, little by little, the event has grown because of the television coverage and because it is where great players have built their legend: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Stephen Curry .
The men’s tournament* now includes 68 teams, which compete for three weeks in more than ten stadiums around the country.
This year, the “Final Four”, i.e. the final games of the top four teams, will take place at NRG Stadium, the stadium of the professional American football team in Houston, Texas, which seats 71 000 supporters.
March Madness is truly a national phenomenon. At the start of the season, each of the 350 Division I college teams has the opportunity to qualify for the “Big Dance”. The matches, all televised, are followed by millions of spectators who support the colors of the university where they studied, or those of their state.
L’another element that is very popular with the public, c’is the format of the tournament, with its single-elimination system similar to the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds. The winner of the match advances in the table and the loser goes home. So much so that each game turns into a real duel where the teams fight tooth and nail until‘at the final whistle to stay in contention.
Generally, the tournament is dominated by major universities which spend millions of dollars on their sports equipment and the salaries of top coaches. Among these basketball heavyweights are the universities of the’Alabama, that of Houston and the’Purdue University as well as the’University of Kansas, which is defending its title this year.
But sometimes, small establishments (nicknamed “Cinderella Teams”) reach s’impose against larger and better ranked universities, which unleashed the famous “madness” among the supporters. For example, in 2018, the University of Maryland in the county the Baltimore (UMBC) surprised the best team in the country, that of the University of Virginia, by beating them in the first round. This remains a unique case in the’tournament history.
The female painting
These last years, NCAA Women’s Tournament* gained popularity, the American public s’more interesting to women’s competitions in general. The national championship for women began in 1972, under the direction of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW).
In the early years, the tournament was won by small teams, such as that of the’Immaculata College in Pennsylvania (now called Immaculata University) and Delta State University, Mississippi.
The women’s tournament also includes 68 teams. And as with men, it is organized in large halls and is dominated by the biggest universities. This season, giants like the’University of South Carolina, University of Connecticut and the’university of the’Indiana are among the favorites.
South Carolina, led by the’coach Dawn Staley, herself a three-time gold medalist’olympic gold’has for’moment conceded no victory and hopes to continue its momentum until’at the end of the season. The team won the NCAA Tournament last year as well as 32 straight regular season games this year.
Like many American basketball teams, the South Carolina women’s team is made up of players born outside the United States, such as Kamilla Cardoso (Brazil) and Laeticia Amihere (Canada).
Every year in March, the best players, teams and coaches provide the spectacle of this great sporting contest. But what’love college basketball fans, these are the surprises… this little known player, this Cinderella team, who goes fromonly one blow to falter a favorite team. VS’is that, the madness of March!
*in English
An article by freelance writer Fred Bowen.
