This browser does not support the Video element.
A history of the term March Madness in basketball
The term March Madness got its origins in Illinois surrounding the annual tournament of high school boys basketball teams, according to the Illinois High School Association -- which sponsored the event.
The college basketball season is winding down, which means March Madness is upon us. The annual men’s and women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments are among the most closely watched sporting events in the U.S.
Millions of Americans are going through the annual March rite of filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket (or two or three).
Millions of Americans — from hard-core sports junkies to casual fans and school alumni to those with no rooting interest — engage in this annual national pastime by filling out a tourney bracket and seeing how they fare.
RELATED: March Madness: Men's and Women's NCAA Tournament bracket revealed – see the full list
Winning is possible, though few hold out much hope of a perfect bracket: The NCAA says the odds of that are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 if you wing it and a still-absurd 1 in 120.2 billion if you know a bit about hoops.
There are several contests for those who end up getting a perfect, or close to perfect, bracket:
Capital One March Madness Bracket Challenge
Perhaps the most notable contest is the Capital One March Madness Bracket Challenge, mainly because it's the official game of the NCAA March Madness.
The contest allows you to create up to 10 unique brackets, and you can pick who you think will win every matchup of the 2025 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament.
The Iowa State Cyclones update their locker room bracket following their win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits during the first round of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at CHI Health Center on March 21, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska. ( …
Each correction selection will earn you points. Those whose final bracket scores are calculated to be within the top 1% of the highest scoring brackets will be entered into a sweepstake drawing.
Prizes include a trip to next year's NCAA Men’s and Women's Basketball Final Four, Semi-final and Championship games.
ESPN Tournament Challenge
ESPN is hosting the men's and women's tournament challenges. Those who correctly select the National Champion are eligible to win a grand prize totaling $5,000. Those who fill out 25 brackets will be eligible to receive a first prize of $1,000.
USA Today bracket contest
USA Today has created a contest for those who want to fill out a bracket. Those who have a perfect bracket, picking the winner for each game, will be eligible to win $1 million. Other contest winners will be eligible to win $25,000.
RELATED: When does March Madness start? 2025 dates & locations
Yahoo Bracket Mayhem
Those who enter and win the Yahoo Bracket Mayhem game will be eligible to win $25,000.
How can I watch March Madness?
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. CBS will handle the Final Four and national title game this year.
The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from official NCAA sources, including the organization's published tournament odds and streaming details, as well as major sports networks such as CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV, which broadcast the games. Details on bracket challenges and prizes originate from contests run by Capital One, ESPN, USA Today, and Yahoo. This story was reported from Los Angeles.