March marks a special time of year for all basketball fans. Whether a college basketball fan, professional basketball fan, or someone who hardly knows anything about the game of basketball, each and every person can enjoy the exuberance resonating around college basketball’s March Madness.

For those who don’t already know, March Madness refers to the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. Of the 345 NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball teams, only 64 are selected to compete in the tournament, and only one comes out a tried and true champion. Consistently comprised of heartbreaking losses, roller coaster rides, and Cinderella stories, the tournament is known for its shocking underdog upsets and its closely fought battles, regardless of the team seedings.

Creating brackets is another reason that the tournament is so unique and appeals to such a vast and diverse group of fans. Because of the tournament’s level playing field and constant upsets, March Madness brackets make for a great deal of fun for any crowd: classroom contests, family competitions, office competitions, or friendly rivalries. Some Plant teachers are even known for giving extra credit points to the winners of their class’s March Madness bracket contests.

Each person fills out their bracket differently. Those who understand and follow the sport tend to pick their teams based on seedings, their knowledge of the teams, and expert analysis opinions. However, many inexperienced participants choose their teams based on schools that they want to win, and sometimes even pick teams who have the better mascots.

Regardless of how one fills out their bracket, March Madness is a great deal of fun for all fans. Consisting of some of the best teams that college basketball has seen in the past decade, this year’s March Madness has been as wild and entertaining as ever. March Madness ends April 7th.