March Madness : the climax of university basketball

It is one of the most eagerly awaited sporting events in the United States, one of the most watched events on the planet, and yet it is not professionals but teenagers who take centre stage. Every year in March, the university basketball season concludes with a tournament bringing together all the best teams in a format that is ripe for surprises. And for the 2025 edition, we present to you what ‘March Madness’ is all about.

What is March Madness ? 🧐

‘March Madness’ is the final tournament of the university season, which crowns the best university basketball team in the country. It is a nationally and internationally renowned competition, as the NCAA men’s championship final is the second most watched sporting event in the United States each year, just behind the Super Bowl. Created in 1939, March Madness is a single-elimination tournament where the main attraction is called ‘upsets’. It is not uncommon to see favourites fall early on or later in the competition against ‘underdogs’, which is part of the beauty of the competition. It is also an opportunity to see all the future NBA stars perform before they make the big leap to the major league. 

But what is the format? 🤷

At the start, there are 68 teams, and at the end, there will be only one left (thanks, Denis Brogniart). More seriously, the format is quite difficult to understand, so hang on tight because you’ll need to follow along.

The regular season (RS) is based on the NBA system. All Division I teams in the country are divided into conferences. At the end of the RS, the NCAA invites the champions of the 32 conferences to participate in the tournament, then selects the other 36 teams during Selection Sunday, a televised programme where a team of experts announces the draft picks.

Once the 68 teams have officially qualified for March Madness, they are ranked according to their regular season record, the quality of their play, the number of points scored and many other criteria. Once announced, the teams are divided into four regions: West, South, East and Midwest. Once this is done, the show can begin.

March Madness is a competition consisting of six rounds following a specific bracket. In the first round, the top-ranked team in each region faces the 16th seed in its region, the second-ranked team faces the 15th seed, and so on, similar to the NBA playoffs. However, unlike the major league, the games are single-elimination. There is no room for error, otherwise the adventure comes to an abrupt end. Proof of this is that after three days of competition, half of the teams leave the tournament. This is one of the main reasons why this tournament is one of the most entertaining sporting events of the year. Every year, a favourite to win the title loses in the first two rounds to small, unknown universities, often in the final seconds of a crazy game, and some teams even manage to repeat the feat two or three times in a row to reach the Sweet Sixteen, the equivalent of the regional semi-finals. After the Sweet Sixteen comes the Elite Eight, representing the regional finals, and then comes the moment everyone has been waiting for: the Final Four. 

The Final Four, the epicentre of world basketball 🤯

The Final Four brings together the four teams that have managed to emerge alive from their respective regions. From that moment on, the world stops. All eyes are on the last three university games of the year. The champion of the West region faces the champion of the Midwest region, while the champion of the South region faces the winner of the East region to determine who will compete in the final showdown. And when the final whistle blows, we’re not going to lie to you, even the Avengers reunion or a good one-on-one between LeBron and Jordan doesn’t generate as much excitement.

Legendary moments of March Madness 🎬

March Madness is also the time of year when we experience the most excitement, but above all, surprises, encounters and upsets, each one crazier than the last. So, for you, we’ve chosen the five most memorable moments since March Madness began (in no particular order) :

1. North Carolina vs Villanova: NCAA Championship Game 2016

It was the greatest final of the 21st century, perhaps even the greatest of all time. After a thrilling tournament, the legendary University of North Carolina reached the final against Villanova, the university of Jalen Brunson, Donte Divicenzo and Josh Hart, who were all playing together in this match. During the first 37 minutes – NCAA games are played in two 20-minute halves – the two teams traded blows, with Villanova managing to build a slight 6-point lead with 1:30 left on the clock. But then Marcus Paige stepped up. He scored two 3-pointers, one of which was completely off balance, to tie the game with 5 seconds left… Before Jenkins lived every basketball player’s dream. Donte DiVincenzo brought the ball up the court, passed to Jenkins, who shot from 10 metres away from the basket… Time stood still, the arena fell silent, before exploding with joy. Jenkins had just scored the most iconic buzzer beater in the history of March Madness. The American commentator’s cry of ‘FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP’ still echoes in everyone’s minds. Villanova won the title for the second time in its history (74-77), before repeating the feat in 2018.

2. Michigan State vs Indiana State: 1979 NCAA Championship Game

A clash of two legends. In 1979, Michigan State and Indiana State met in the final, but that wasn’t the main attraction. The basketball world wasn’t particularly drawn to the names of these two teams, but rather to their two franchise players. On the Michigan State Spartans side: Magic Johnson. On the other: Larry Bird. Two future basketball legends who, ironically, would end up playing for the Lakers and the Celtics, perpetuating the NBA’s greatest rivalry. But let’s get back to the facts. In 1979, the two teams fought an intense battle. Magic finished the game with 24 points, while Larry, hampered by a thumb injury, scored ‘only’ 19 points and 15 rebounds… His worst college game (i.e., the level of mental illness of the guy). The clash was all the more legendary because the game was watched by nearly 40 million viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game in the United States until 2017! In the end, it was Magic and his Spartans who emerged victorious from this titanic duel with a score of 75-64.

3. Davidson University run : March Madness 2008

Stephen Curry’s magic began here. Rejected by all the major universities in the country because of his height, it was at Davidson University that ‘The Chef’ would turn the world of university basketball upside down. Arriving at a school known more for producing great politicians and literary figures, Steph Curry played a magnificent trick on a Davidson team that had never made it past the second round of March Madness. But in 2008, everything changed. While criticism continued to fly at Stephen Curry before the start of the tournament, the kid fed off it and walked on water throughout the competition. With an average of 32 points, the tournament’s top 3-point scorer and best interceptor, he was, in short, a human steamroller. Thanks to his great form, Davidson, ranked 10th in the Midwest region, climbed the ranks and, for the first time in its history, made it to the Elite Eight. The Final Four was just one win away, but Curry’s teammates fell short against Kansas, who went on to win the national championship a few days later. What happened next for Steph Curry? Everyone knows the story…

4. UMBC vs Virginia: First Round 2018

A victory that changed the fate of a university forever. In 2018, UMBC, ranked 16th and bottom of the South region, faced Virginia, the number one seed and overwhelming favourite to win the title. On paper, it was a match that Virginia should have won easily… But the unthinkable happened. After 40 minutes of intense play, marked by unwavering courage and self-sacrifice, UMBC managed to win the game and defy all predictions. Quite simply, all the brackets were wrong! No forecaster had got it right. It was pure madness, still considered one of the biggest upsets of all time in any sport. The victory went viral on social media, bringing national and international attention to the modest university, even impressing Stephen Curry, who gave each player a pair of Curry 4 trainers. Classy move…

5. Saint Peter’s Peacocks University run: March Madness 2022

One of the greatest runs of the 21st century, without a doubt. After winning the MAAC conference (a minor conference), Saint Peter’s was seeded 15th in the Midwest region. You know the drill, so it’s the region’s number 2 seed that will face Shaheen Holloway’s men in the first round: the Kentucky Wildcats. One of the most famous and prestigious universities in the United States. Anthony Davis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and many others have all played for the Wildcats. The task looked daunting and no one expected Saint Peter’s to emerge victorious. And yet, the opposite happens. The Peacocks achieve the unthinkable and knock Kentucky out of the tournament after a crazy overtime (85-79). It’s an XXL performance in the history of March Madness, as it’s only the second time since the tournament’s inception that a 15th-seeded team has eliminated the No. 2 seed in a region. In the second round, it was déjà vu. Against Murray State, the Peacocks continued their winning streak and won (70-60), making even more history in the tournament… before finally entering the annals of memory.

In the Sweet Sixteen, it was the giant Purdue that stood in the way of Saint Peter’s. At that point, everyone was sure of one thing: the Peacocks’ adventure would end there. Everyone, that is, except Shaheen Holloway’s players themselves! At the end of a thrilling match, Saint Peter’s shook the basketball world by knocking out a second huge favourite (67-64) for the title and advancing to the Elite Eight! For the first time since 1939, a 15th-ranked team was in the regional finals. However, all good things must come to an end. Against North Carolina, the dream came to an abrupt halt. Physically exhausted, the Peacocks were unable to contain their opponents’ attacks and lost by around 20 points (49-69). It was the end of the greatest adventure in history, but with tremendous repercussions. Since that day, the New Jersey-based university has finally gained recognition across the country and participates in March Madness every year.

The most iconic universities in March Madness 🌟

Duke University : This is perhaps one of the most iconic American universities in basketball history. Long embodied by their legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, aka ‘Coach K’, Duke has won five national championships and made 17 appearances in the Final Four, but it is best known for its attractive basketball programme, which has enabled many current and former NBA stars to train with the ‘Blue Devils’. Among the best known are Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, JJ Redick and Kyrie Irving.

Kentucky Wildcats : The best university in the country… And I mean that. The second most successful university in history with eight NCAA trophies and the best winning percentage of all time, the Wildcats represent the cream of the crop of American university sport. Proof of this is that the university, based in the city of Lexington, has won the honorary title of ‘greatest tradition in the history of university basketball.’

University of North Carolina : To complete the magic trident, all that was missing was the University of North Carolina. The third most successful university in the country with six trophies, North Carolina enjoyed its golden age in the late 1980s thanks to the arrival of a certain Michael Jordan… Nothing less. UNC is also one of the universities to have played in the most Final Fours in the history of the competition, with 21 appearances. This is enough to earn the Tar Heels a place in the top 50 ‘best programmes of the last 50 years’.

Georgetown University : It may not be the most successful, but it is certainly the most recognised of all the sports universities in the United States. Georgetown’s programme is one of the oldest in history, with the men’s basketball team playing its first game in February 1907! Its long history has earned it 31 appearances in March Madness, including 18 between 1979 and 2000. Legendary for its history, but also for the legacy left by players who have passed through the Hoyas, notably Allen Iverson, Patrick Ewing and the recently deceased Dikembe Mutombo, all three of whom have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.

UCLA : Russell Westbrook, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Reggie Miller, Bill Walton—all these NBA legends are united by a unique bond. That of the blue and gold blood that runs through their veins. If there is one university that can rival Georgetown in terms of history, it is UCLA. Based in California, the Bruins are the most successful team in NCAA history with 11 national titles, including 10 won between 1964 and 1975 under the leadership of John Wooden!