The death of March Madness was greatly exaggerated
Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates after making the game-winning three-point basket against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Every March it begins anew. “There weren’t enough upsets… where are all the mid-majors?
… no one wants to see a . 500 power conference team… no more Cinderellas… this was better years ago… the magic is gone. ” Those are the familiar complaints about the second most watched sporting event in the United States.
There is functionally a cottage industry in complaining that the NCAA Tournament just isn’t as good as it once was. Twitter was ablaze in these takes during the first round. And of course that’s nonsense.
For starters, this NCAA Tournament first round was the most watched ever. People may whine, but that’s a vocal minority. The general public, and the basketball lifers, still love March Madness.
Last season saw records for Final Four and national championship viewing. More people, by a wide margin, watch the tournament than watch the NBA. This thing is a massive, popular, monolith.