Jimmy Boyd in 
Once the field of 68 is announced on Selection Sunday, it’s time to dive into this year’s bracket and start betting on the NCAA tournament games.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve participated in March Madness bracket challenges before. For many, it’s an annual tradition dating back to childhood. As always, I’ve posted my expert bracket predictions, continuing a streak of over 15 years of tracking the trends that actually matter.
Traditionally, most brackets were part of local office pools. Today, with the rise of online March Madness contests, submitting your predictions and tracking your percentile rank against millions of other fans has never been easier.
For those curious about its origins, the first bracket pool is believed to have started in 1977 at a bar in Staten Island, attracting 88 participants with a $10 entry fee. By the mid-2000s, that same bar was hosting over 150,000 participants with prize money exceeding $1.5 million. It’s safe to say the “hobby” has become a national obsession.
Number of NCAA Tournament Brackets Submitted During March Madness
According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), participation reached staggering new heights recently. In 2024, approximately 68 million American adults placed a bet on the tournament, with a massive portion of that group participating in bracket contests. By 2025, that number grew again as legal sports betting expanded into more states, with an estimated $2.72 billion wagered on the tournament overall.
While the exact number of brackets is difficult to track across every private office pool, the digital numbers give us a clear picture. ESPN alone regularly sees over 22 million brackets submitted to its “Tournament Challenge.” When you combine that with platforms like Yahoo, CBS, and the NCAA’s official site—not to mention millions of paper brackets—it is estimated that between **60 and 70 million people** will fill out a bracket for the 2026 tournament.
Current trends suggest that engagement is no longer just about the men’s side; the Women’s NCAA tournament bracket participation has seen triple-digit percentage growth over the last three years, further boosting the total number of brackets filled out nationwide.
Why Do So Many People Participate in Bracket Contests Each Year?
While some submit brackets purely for “bragging rights,” the majority of participants are enticed by potential winnings.
Cash Prizes: Most office pools require an entry fee, with the top-scoring brackets claiming a share of the pot. The AGA estimates that the average bracket entry fee is roughly $29, contributing to billions wagered on pools alone. This gives you a real sense of how much money is bet on college basketball this time of year.
Free-to-Play Contests: Many online contests are free to enter but offer life-changing prizes. Some major corporations even promise $1 million or more for a “Perfect Bracket.” While the odds of picking a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion, the “what-if” factor keeps fans coming back every March.
The “Upset” Factor: The tournament’s unpredictability is its greatest draw. Our upset predictions can help you identify first-round surprises before they bust your bracket. Additionally, the tournament sleepers we highlight are often the mid-major teams that make deep runs and ruin the projections of “casual” fans.
The 68-team format ensures that every year, at least one “Cinderella” will emerge. Keep this in mind when reviewing winners by seed. Without those 12-over-5 or 15-over-2 upsets, the tournament wouldn’t be the national phenomenon it is today.
If the top seeds always won and predictions were easy, interest would wane. Even the favorites to win the tournament typically have a 20% or less chance of actually cutting down the nets! This inherent randomness allows anyone—from the hardcore stat-head to the person picking based on team colors—to win their local pool, which is exactly why March Madness remains the king of sports traditions.
