March Madness History: Origins, Records, and Greatest Moments

It is that time of year when fans across the globe fill out their brackets and keep track of every game. March Madness started last week, but I am not here to give you live coverage. 

Instead, I will delve into the history of the event, covering its origins, player/team/state performances, and some of the greatest teams to play.

Now, the tournament goes all the way back to 1939, when eight teams competed for a national championship with the finals taking place in Evanston, Illinois. The Oregon Webfoots defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 46-33.

How was March Madness named?

The name “March Madness” was coined by Henry V. Porter, who was a former Illinois High School Association official. 

He felt it matched the excitement the tournament offered nationwide when writing about it in an essay. It was not until 1982 that the name was used on television when Brent Musburger used it. However, Musburger told the Rich Eisen show that “It stems from the Illinois State basketball tournament, and a car dealer in Chicago… It was accidental. Obviously, it stuck, and it is a great description.”

When you tune into a game, there is always an instrumental that welcomes you to the contest. In 1992, CBS Sports held a contest to determine what its next NCAA tournament telecast would be. Bob Christianson won and developed the melody during a cleaning frenzy. It has not been changed since, but there have been meetings about it that never garnered traction to replace it.

Why a perfect bracket is so difficult

In the history of March Madness, nobody has been able to fill out a perfect bracket, and the odds are nearly impossible. There is a 1 in 9.2 quintillion chance of being perfect. The closest anyone has gotten was in 2019, when Gregg Nigl had 49 correct game predictions. Purdue’s win busted the bracket, but it stands as the longest streak in the tournament’s history.

When it comes to appearing in the championship, the lowest seed to win was #8 Villanova in 1985. Three No. 11 seeds made it to the Final Four, but all of them lost, with the most recent being NC State in 2024. The Saint Peter’s Peacocks are the lowest seed to reach the Elite 8 as the No. 15 seed, beating Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. They lost to UNC by twenty, and were led by Doug Ebert, who transferred in the off-season to the Bryant Bulldogs.

Three No. 15 seeds have made it to the Sweet Sixteen: Florida Gulf Coast, Oral Roberts, and Princeton. One upset was #15 Lehigh beat Duke 75-70, where guard CJ McCollum put up 30 points. He now plays in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks.

Historic upsets

During its nearly century-long existence, only two No. 16 seeds have taken down a No. 1 seed. UMBC decisively beat Virginia, 74-54, in 2018. It would take five years for the feat to be accomplished again. Farleigh-Dickenson University took down Purdue 63-58 in a game where the Knights clamped down on Zach Edey and the Boilermakers. FDU is the first 16 seed to win a second game after being in the first four. This past Thursday, Siena became the first 16 seed to have a double-digit lead over a No. 1 seed when they faced Duke. They made no substitutions until there were ten seconds left, and lost by six.

There are plenty of Cinderella stories in March Madness, but what about the powerhouses? 

UCLA holds the record for most tournament titles with 11, followed by Kentucky at 8 and UNC at 6. On the flip side, some teams have played in the big dance but never won. Boise State has lost 10 games, which is the most by any University that has appeared. Eastern Kentucky and Colgate are among the other teams that have not won yet.

The most points scored in a March Madness game by a team was 149 by Loyola Marymount in 1990. 

Austin Carr dropped 61 playing for Notre Dame, which was the most ever in the tournament by a single player in the year. The Fighting Irish beat Ohio University in the Regional Quarterfinals in 1970. This tournament has highlighted several superstars along the way. Bill Walton scored 41 points in the title game, while Carmelo Anthony holds the record for most points in a Final Four with 33 in his freshman year with Syracuse. Perhaps the most famous example is Stephen Curry’s run with Davidson in 2008. Curry led them to the Elite Eight as the No. 10 seed, scoring over 100 points in four games. One last performance that flew under the radar came in 2012 when Anthony Davis recorded a record 29 blocks with Kentucky.

Best March Madness coaches

Let us see how coaches have fared. Tom Izzo holds the longest-tenured streak of appearances in the tournament with 28. The Spartans have won one title in that timespan and appeared in eight Final Fours. Only Rick Barnes (30) from Providence and Coach K (36) from Duke have been to the Dance more times.

The only two states that have never had a team appear in the tourney are Alaska and Maine. Alaska does not have a D1 men’s basketball team, and the University of Maine has never made it either. Maine competes in the American East and is among 37 teams in the country to have never competed at the Big Dance.

There are plenty of late-game theatrics when it comes to March Madness. In total, there have been 47 buzzer beaters, with Kris Jenkins clinching the three to win the title for Villanova in 2016 being one of the most iconic.

Lastly, 20 teams have entered the tourney unbeaten, and seven won it all. This includes San Francisco, UNC (who won in triple OT), and UCLA, which has done it four times. Indiana is the last team to have a perfect season, way back in 1976. Gonzaga entered the tourney in 2021 undefeated and lost in the title game in 2021. Baylor spoiled their perfect season, winning by sixteen.

Once the buzzer sounds and the confetti comes down, there is a song that takes place. Called “One Shining Moment,” it was composed by David Barrett. Barrett had an exchange with a waitress about the ‘poetry of basketball’, and after she left, he began writing the song down on a napkin. The song was originally meant for the Super Bowl, but made its debut in 1987 at the tournament. It has changed many lives, and is now a tradition at the end of every tournament to be played.

Looking at the tournament this year, there have already been some interesting stats. High Point’s guard Chase Johnston hit his first two-point FG of the year, which was the game-winner against Wisconsin. Siena would have been the first team since 1979 to play all their starters for the whole game, but made a substitution with ten seconds left. It was too late as Duke escaped a scare. Nebraska earned its first two March Madness wins in school history and has a Big 10 showdown with Purdue this Friday. Miami of Ohio made it into the tournament despite having zero Quad-1 wins. Texas is the last double-digit seed remaining in the tournament.

This is March Madness, where dreams come true, and the powerhouses look to cement their legacy. Who will have their “One Shining Moment” at the end of the year, and what other upsets will happen? Keep on watching as the Sweet Sixteen kicks off this Friday.