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Who’s Your “March Madness” Pick(s) for 2022?
“March Madness” is, of course, the yearly college basketball tournament held by the NCAA that runs from mid-March to early April.
It’s been going on since 1939, though the field has expanded over the years (it began with just eight teams playing against one another when Oregon beat Ohio State to take home the first tournament title). This year it starts with “First Four” games[i] in Dayton, Ohio and continues through to the 2022 Final Four in New Orleans on April 2 and April 4.
Believe it or not, the term “March Madness” was first used in 1939 when Illinois high school official Henry V. Porter actually labeled the original eight-team tournament that way in a quote in Illinois High School Athlete magazine, noting that, “A little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.”
As for how it “crossed over” to college – well, enter sportscaster Brent Musburger, who affixed the monitor to the NCAA tournament in 1982. Things continued on their separate ways (with the IHSA and NCAA both embracing it) until 1996…when the NCAA tried to start selling merch emblazoned with the "March Madness" title - but eventually they agreed to share the name rather than fight it out in court forever.
So, let’s get started.