It’s almost that time of year again, where college athletes all across the country prepare for the annual season of March Madness. After a series of scheduling conflicts and long postponements, it all finally kicks off this weekend with Selection Sunday, where the selection committee will choose the thirty-seven teams that will earn an invitation to the tournament this year. However, this Selection Sunday might prove to be the most controversial yet due to the rule changes made by the selection committee. The committee will also be judging teams that have played more games than others or that have better stats despite playing fewer games. In other words, thirty-seven of the sixty-eight total teams may not necessarily deserve their spot in the tournament. 

After Selection Sunday, March Madness truly begins with a near-constant onslaught of matches. The four lowest-seeded automatic and selected teams will face off against each other to earn a spot in the main tournament on March 18th. From there, the First and Second Rounds will take place over that weekend with a week-long buffer before the Sweet 16 matches are played. You can see the full schedule here.

So, what teams should you be looking out for? Well, as of March 9th, Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan make up the current top four teams in the league. Alabama fans should be pleased to hear that the Crimson Tide is sitting at the sixth ranking with a good chance of pushing their way into the top four. All eyes are on Gonzaga, though. As the only undefeated team left in the NCAA this year after Kansas upset Baylor, fans have high expectations going into the tournament. Gonzaga faces BYU tonight in what could be a close game as BYU is 20-5 overall and in second place in the west coast division. There’s also a slew of sleeper teams such as Michigan State and Oklahoma State that have the potential to win the NCAA tournament.  

Of course, one of the best parts of the whole March Madness season is the fan brackets. There’s nothing more exciting than making your predictions and seeing what comes of your teams. Competing against your friends is always fun too. As always, the Capital One Bracket Challenge begins Sunday night after selections are made. If you’d rather have a physical copy of your bracket, you can print one for yourself instead. Good luck with your predictions!