Sheldon H. Jacobson: America’s rite of spring — why we need March Madness

March Madness comes at just the right time for the nation’s sports and social psyche. After the long, dark winter, the college basketball tourney has become a rite of spring. The Super Bowl is history, with the NBA and NHL both tracking toward their respective playoffs set to begin in mid-April. Major League Baseball is entrenched in spring training as it gets ready to begin its season. That leaves a void in our nation’s sports mania that gets filled by March Madness.

With 136 teams (68 men’s and 68 women’s) vying to win their conference championship or grab a coveted at-large bid from the NCAA selection committees, the race for a high NET (NCAA evaluation tool) rank, high-value road wins and upsets in conference tournaments is a literal candy store of excitement for even the most casual college sports fan.

Selection Sunday is a must-follow for every college alum whose team has any chance of playing in the tournament. It is also when bracketologists meet their fate to determine if their projections were accurate or amiss.

Terms like low-majors, mid-majors and high-majors are not military ranks, but how different conferences are described. Cinderellas are not storybook characters, but low-major and mid-major teams that upset high-majors and go on a tournament run.

The selection committee has not always been kind to mid-majors, with most at-large bids getting taken by Power Conference high-majors. That has not prevented the fortunate few mid-majors from leaving their imprint on the tournament with a buzzer beater upset or thrashing of a high major during the first weekend of the tournament.

Once the games begin, millions of people follow the action on their devices. With so many people working remotely, productivity takes a massive hit the first two days of the tournament (March 16 and 17). In the past, the 48-hour “March Madness flu” struck like a vengeance on these days, with no known vaccine available.

In spite of the emotional roller coaster that last-minute shots and unintended fouls bring, March Madness is one of the most stable and predictable events of the year. No other college sporting event brings together so many followers. March Madness is the feel-good story that millions of people can get behind.

When March Madness was canceled in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, it left a void for many. It took away an event that gave many something to focus on that elicited positive emotions. With no March Madness that year, there was no positive outlet, adding to the already dark mood that fell across our nation as stay-at-home orders were put into effect.

March Madness describes the chaos on the court with teams that rarely if ever get to play each other on a national stage. This year several low-majors and mid-majors are poised to make some noise, with the potential to upset the favorites from the Power Conferences. Men’s teams like the Gaels of St. Mary’s College, the Owls of Florida Atlantic, the Cougars of the College of Charleston and the Bulldogs of Drake have the talent to win some games against the Power Conference bluebloods.

Then there are low-majors who steal a bid by unexpectedly winning their conference tournament and find themselves in David vs. Goliath matches that sometimes yield unexpected upsets. Recall University of Maryland Baltimore County defeating University of Virginia as a 16-seed upset in 2018.

Though such upsets are highly difficult to call on an individual basis, they are certain to occur collectively. The data supports this observation, with nearly two low-major and mid-major underdogs on average winning their round of 64 match. These teams even find a way to periodically reach the Sweet Sixteen.

In spite of all the madness, who eventually gets named national champion is one of the top 12 teams in the country. Since 1985, only four men’s teams outside this group have been so crowned.

There is nothing mad about March Madness, except the action on the courts. With the tournament bringing great joy to many, March Madness is really March Gladness for the fans.

With so many teams, and just one men’s and women’s national champion crowned, all but two teams end their participation with a loss. Yet all 136 teams have the joy to be part of one of the nation’s most followed college sporting event of the year. Let the games begin!

Sheldon H. Jacobson is a computer science professor at the University of Illinois.