History of March Madness

• March Madness began in 1939 with the first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament featuring just 8 teams. Created by the NCAA and popularized by Illinois high school official Henry V. Porter (who coined the term), the tournament quickly grew into a national phenomenon. Today, it features 68 teams battling through single-elimination chaos — where buzzer-beaters, Cinderella stories, and bracket-busting upsets have turned March into the wildest month in sports.