The month of March is known for many things. The beginning of spring, parades, and the return of daylight savings time are just a few to mention. However, basketball fans know that this month marks the return of the infamous March Madness.
Saint Xavier University will be hosting a March Madness watch party on Saturday, March 18. This event will take place from 5-7 p.m. in the lounge area of Pacelli Hall, as found on The Den.
The student-ran organization Saturday Night Vibes, along with the Residence Hall Association(RHA), will be providing both pizza and chicken wings for this event. Attendees are required to sign up for this event by RSVPing on The Den.
For those who are unfamiliar with March Madness, it is a tournament of men’s basketball for Division I athletes. There are sixty eight men’s basketball teams that compete against one another as well as sixty four women’s teams.
The scheduled dates for men’s March Madness events are as follows:
- Selection Sunday: March 12
- First Four: March 14-15
- First Round: March 16-17
- Second Round: March 18-19
- Sweet 16: March 23-24
- Elite 8: March 25-26
- Final Four: April 1
- NCAA Championship Game: April 3
The scheduled dates for women’s March Madness events are as follows:
- Selection Sunday: March 12
- First Four: March 15-16
- First Round: March 17-18
- Second Round: March 19-20
- Sweet 16: March 24-25
- Elite 8: March 26-27
- Final Four: March 31
- NCAA Championship Game: April 2
Unfortunately, Saint Xavier does not partake in the tournament. However, the excitement for March Madness is spreading throughout campus as the tournament nears.
“I think I am most excited for the competitiveness of March Madness,” first-year student Nick Piegari stated. “A lot of the time now when you watch basketball, a ton of teams either play selfish basketball or don’t play defense.”
Since March Madness showcases so many teams, if one team loses a game, then they are out of the tournament entirely. “All the players know it’s win or go home, so they actually try to win in every aspect,” Piegari continued.
Moving away from competitiveness, one of the most popular activities of March Madness is the filling out of brackets. The purpose of these brackets is to successfully determine the winner of every single game.
“I partake in brackets,” said first-year student Rohindeep Bhattal. “It’s exciting to see people getting upset from seeing where they put the wrong teams.”
Not one person has correctly guessed a March Madness bracket for both men and womens basketball. The odds of guessing a perfect bracket end up being one in more than nine quintillion.
This seems nearly impossible, however many students believe that their bracket will be the one that is correct.
“It’s fun to compare my bracket with others,” said sophomore Eddie Almanza. “My friends and I always debate until we see who wins.”
Attendees of the March Madness watch party can compare brackets and discuss which team they believe will win. Interested individuals can find the March Madness Watch Party on The Den. Additionally, the office of residence life can be contacted for any questions regarding this event.
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