With 30+ years in racing and betting, Darren helps punters develop their skills. As OLBG’s Tipster boss and expert guide, he turns insight into winning strategy.
What is March Madness?
March Madness is a knock-out competition for 68 teams to decide the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
There are seven rounds of knockout games including the famous Final Four round at the semi-final stage.
To see which team the OLBG basketball tipsters are predicting to win March Madness, head over to the Basketball tips page.
When did March Madness begin?
The first official tournament for NCAA Division I was in 1939 and was won by Oregon who beat Ohio State 46-33.
Why is it called March Madness?
The term ‘March Madness’ dates back to 1939 when it was first used by an Illinois school official but has been in wider use since Brent Musberger of CBS used it during the 1982 coverage and the term has stuck ever since.
How are the teams seeded?
The selection committee allocates a rating for each team based on how each team has performed in their regular season and conference tournament. The teams are rated between 1 and 68. Four teams are illuminated in the initial round which is known as the First Four.
After that, the remaining 64 teams are split into four sections and ranked 1 to 16. In each section the team ranked 1 plays the team ranked 16, the team ranked 2 plays 15 etc etc.
What teams have recently won March Madness?
Below is a table of the last ten NCAA Champions, runners-up and the final score:
The event was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
| Year | Winner | Runner Up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida | Houston | 65-63 |
| 2024 | Connecticut | Purdue | 75-60 |
| 2023 | Connecticut | San Diego State | 76-59 |
| 2022 | Kansas | North Carolina | 72-69 |
| 2021 | Baylor | Gonzaga | 86-70 |
| 2019 | Virginia | Texas Tech | 85-77 |
| 2018 | Villanova | Michigan | 79-62 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | Gonzaga | 71-65 |
| 2016 | Villanova | North Carolina | 77-74 |
| 2015 | Duke | Wisconsin | 68-63 |
| 2014 | Connecticut | Kentucky | 60-54 |
| 2013 | Louisville | Michigan | 82-76 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | Kansas | 67-59 |
| 2011 | Connecticut | Butler | 53-41 |
Can you predict who will make it through to the March Madness Final?
Every year, once the full set of teams are announced and the seedings have been decided, basketball fans all over the world will study the art of 'bracketology'.
Bracketology is where fans try and predict each individual game's outcome via a bracketing chart and see if they can forecast which teams will make it through to the March Madness Final.
How do you think you would get on trying to forecast the winners of so many games?
Why not print off your own bracket here and see how close you get to predicting a perfect bracket!
Once you have made all your selections make sure you add your predictions on OLBG and be in with a chance of winning a share of the big cash prizes on offer!
