March Madness History

The phrase "March Madness" was coined by Henry V. Porter in 1939 to describe the Illinois high school basketball tournament which started off as a small invitational affair in 1908 and grew to over 900 schools by the late 1930's. The term struck a chord with reporters and they continued to use it throughout the years until it became the popular name for the event.

Brent Musburger first used it during NCAA coverage in 1982 causing a legal battle almost as insane as the playoffs. But everyone finally worked things out and the madness was official.

Today, March Madness is synonymous with the NCAA Basketball Tournament that draws huge television audiences and packs arenas across the country. Besides New Years and the Super Bowl, the first weekend of March Madness is the busiest for Las Vegas hotels and casinos.

Part of the tournament charm is the possibility that a small school, such as George Mason, Butler or Gonzaga, can compete and knock off teams from the traditional powerhouse conferences. And the whirlwind of excitement surrounding the first weekend sees the field quickly go from 64 teams to the Sweet Sixteen.

Betting on March Madness continues to grow as well. Las Vegas sportsbooks report higher handles each year (as presumably do the offshore books). Office pools can be found in about every company and online bracket contests continue to grow in popularity.

Most NCAA Division I Championships

The 5 schools who have won the most NCAA Division I Men's basketball tournaments:

UCLA with 11 championships;

Kentucky has won 7 times;

Indiana with 5 victories;

North Carolina with 4 titles; and

Duke with 3 first place finishes.

Current College Basketball Betting Odds