The Thrill of NCAA March Madness 2025: Bracket Creation and Highlights

The anticipation is building as the college basketball season nears its conclusion, heralding the arrival of March Madness. This event, featuring both men’s and women’s tournaments, stands as one of the most captivating sporting extravaganzas in the United States.

Creating Your Bracket

March Madness enraptures millions each year as individuals participate in filling out brackets to predict the outcomes of each game. This collective endeavor transforms offices, families, and friend circles into competitive arenas, where the accuracy of your predictions can bring glory.

Fans wishing to join the excitement can easily create their brackets online at NCAA.com. Alternatively, printable versions are available for those who prefer a traditional approach.

Understanding NCAA Brackets

The NCAA basketball selection committee, comprised of 12 members, is responsible for selecting and seeding the 68 teams that will compete in the tournament. The brackets are divided into four regions: Midwest, East, South, and West, each designed to ensure competitive balance.

• 31 teams receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments.
• The remaining 37 teams are selected by the committee based on performance metrics such as wins, losses, and strength of schedule.
• Teams are seeded 1-16 within each region, with matchups arranged to pit the highest seeds against the lowest.

In a notable evolution of the tournament format, the introduction of the “First Four” round in 2011 allows for a preliminary set of games featuring the lowest-seeded teams vying for a spot in the main bracket.

Local Spotlight: University of Houston

This year, the University of Houston has distinguished itself by securing the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. Their first match will be against No. 16 seed Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. This pivotal game is set for March 20 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, with the second-round clash following on March 22 at the same venue.

Notably, this marks the University of Houston men’s basketball team’s seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their third year in a row as a top seed.