The month of March got its name for Roman god of war, Mars, and perfectly fits the March Madness tournament. However, how much do you really know about the NCAA Basketball tournament? In this basketball article, we go over the History of the March Madness Tournament from its humble beginning to today.
Before we begin, it is only right to talk first talk about the history of basketball. In the grand scheme of sports, the sport of basketball is fairly new. Thjs is because it was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismeith in Springfield, MA. Soon after its invention, it spread rapidly thanks to the YMCA and the U.S. Army having a penchant for the game.
The first college basketball game was in 1895 between Hamline University and Minnesota A&M (U. of Minnesota). Minnesota A&M won the game 9-3 which at the time had 9 players from each team on the court. Since then, college basketball has grown in to a billion-dollar industry with universities selling marketing and TV right.
And now, let’s talk about where March Madness fits in the history of basketball!
March Madness Q&A
What is March Madness – March Madness is the annual NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. It is a single-elimination tournament made of 0f 68 teams that compete for the national championship.
When was the First March Madness Pool – Whether this is true or not, according to the Smithsonian, the first March Madness bracket was in 1977. It was first made in a bar in Staten Island with 88 people filling out the bracket with a $10 prize. Since then, March Madness Bracket pools have become a normal part of the tournament.
The History of the March Madness Tournament – From its Beginning to Today
According to Pay Per Head Sportsbook files, the first ever college basketball tournament took place on March 27, 1939. It was an 8-team tournament with Oregon winning the first ever NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. They did that by beating Ohio State with a final score of 46-33. Despite being an original team in the tournament, Oregon would not make another Final Four until 2017.
Since then, the March Madness tournament has undergone several changes and rules. In 1951, the tournament grew to 16 teams, then to 32-team t in 1975 and to 40 teams in 1979. However, the expansion did not stop there because it grew to 48 teams in 1980 and then to 53 teams in 1983. The biggest expansion took place in 1985 when it became a whopping 64 team tournament.
Today, March Madness is now a 68-team tournament. However, March Madness has not always been synonymous with the tournament. The first use of the phrase “March Madness” was in 1939 by Illinois high school official Henry V. Porter. He was using that phrase to describe the original 8-team tournament in the Illinois High School Athlete” magazine. He wrote “A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.”
While that is the first mention of March Madness, it was not in 1982 that it became associated the NCAA basketball tournament. This is when Brent Musburger began using that term during his coverage of the tournament. Interestingly enough, he said he got a phrase from a car dealership commercial.
March Madness Betting
Betting on sports is synonymous with any sporting event and March Madness is no exception! According to the American Gaming Association (AGA) over 69 million Americans made a bet on March Madness. In addition, they estimate that at least $16 billion in wagers were made during the tournament. Of course, gambling on a March Madness Pool with 56.3 million people taking part in one.
This year, sports betting software companies expect an even larger number of American to bet on March Madness. This is because more states now have legal sports betting available like North Carolina. For those looking thinking about placing a bet on March Madness, these March Madness Betting Strategies could be useful!
For those thinking about starting a basketball betting business for March Madness, it is not too late. At least, it is not if you use a Pay Per Head Solution to get open your NCAA Basketball sportsbook. This is because it only takes a few minutes top open basketball wagering business. In addition, you only pay per active player every week. Therefore, once March Madness is over, you can just shut the book down until next season!
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