It’s that time of year when March Madness seems to be on everyone’s mind, undeniably the best time of the year. Whether you work at or attended one of the schools represented in the 68-team men’s and women’s tournament field or are a fan of the underdog, you can hope to see another one of the great runs of recent history by teams like Saint Peter’s University, Florida Atlantic University, or Loyola University Chicago. This year, little-known Oakland University put itself on the map—in the metro area of Detroit and not in California—by eliminating the University of Kentucky from the tournament as No. 14 seed. And No. 11 North Caroline State upset Marquette and Duke, teams more favored and higher seeded, to return to their first Final Four since 1983.
There could be countless reasons why so many tune in at noon on that first Thursday and follow the tournament through to the Final Four, join groups of friends and co-workers in filling out brackets, and take time to learn about the lesser-known schools and mascots. However, for me, it’s the thought that anything can happen in two 20-minute halves of a basketball game. The tournament displays the players’ resilience, hours of preparation, and love for basketball and for the schools involved. Although controversies around name, image, and likeness (NIL), sports betting, and lucrative media contracts mean that the competition may not be as pure as it once was, I admire the celebration of talent and accomplishment in men’s and women’s basketball for these three weeks.
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