The National Collegiate Athletic Association – Men (NCAAM), is a member-led organization founded in 1906 to regulate the rules of college sport and protect young athletes.
During the last century it grew in importance, especially by its role in raising future basketball top players, although there have been top players who didn’t go to college. During March, the major NCAAM competition takes place and it is known as March Madness.
NCAAM and NBA, a comparison in numbers
The March Madness, the NCAA Division men’s basketball tournament, is a single-elimination tournament, composed of 68 men’s college basketball teams facing each other to determine the national champion at the Division 1 level. The tournament appeared for the very first time in 1939 and expanded to today’s 68-team format in 2011. Since then, March Madness has turned out to be one of the biggest sporting events in the United States.
The importance of the NCAAM and its March Madness tournament for Basketball, and U.S. sports as a whole, it’s so obvious and unquestionable that millions of people attend and watch the games, numbers which sometimes are bigger than NBA’s ones. According to SportsPro Media, in 2023 Americans proved they still love March Madness more than the NBA finals, as 18.1 million people tuned into the 2023 championship game, compared to the peak 16.8 million who tuned into the 2022 NBA Finals. Given the large following it has especially for the final stages of the tournament, it is not surprising that many operators offer their own odds for the possible winner or for individual games. There are so many offers that it can be difficult to find the one that meets one’s needs, which is why there are sites like oddschecker that provide a March Madness odds comparison, making it much easier for online users to find the best promotion for their bet.
There are several pros of the NCAAM and college basketball which may turn out to be essential in the NBA. One of these is that it offers exposure and the chance to compete, given the fact that the NBA is a competitive industry, so you need to be skilled and hard-working. Another one is that being part of a college basketball team is a great opportunity for developing your skills and improving your physical and mental maturity. All of these features are essential if someone wants to compete in the NBA and that’s why NCAAM tournaments such as March Madness matters so much.
March Madness 2025, dates and schedules
The 2025 March Madness tournament starts on March 16, with Selection Sunday. All the 68 teams will play in the 2025 NCAA tournament for men’s basketball. Here you may see the full schedule: Selection Sunday: 6 p.m. ET Sunday, March 16; First Four: March 18-19; First round: March 20-21; Second round: March 22-23; Sweet 16: March 27-28; Elite Eight: March 29-3; Final Four: April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas; NCAA championship game: April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Kyle Seltzer, a Williston Varsity Basketball player and a fan of college basketball, thinks that the upsets are what makes March Madness so unique. “In March Madness, there are so many upsets compared to other games […] It’s these kinds of moments that make March Madness super exciting.
The NBA may have better players, bigger stars, and larger prizes, but they do not have the magic and appeal of March Madness, which is why it continues to be followed by millions of excited Americans all around the nation.
