In today's All Sports History video, we'll take a look back to 1939, when a small basketball tournament was held that involved only 8 teams. This small tournament would later go on to become one of the biggest sports cultural phenomenons in history.. In today’s video, we’ll take a look back at how March Madness all got started and how a rival tournament nearly stole it’s thunder as the preeminent college basketball tournament.

This "March Madness Documentary/March Madness Explained" includes:

The tournament wasn’t always known as “March Madness”, but the phrase “March Madness” can be traced back to the time during the very beginning of the tournament. An assistant executive secretary and coach at Illinois High School Association, Henry V. Porter was thought to be the first person to coin the term. On the fans' excitement surrounding Illinois' annual statewide basketball tournament, Porter was quoted saying, “little March madness may complement and contribute to sanity and help keep society on an even keel.” This quote was taken from a 1939 issue of Illinois High School Athlete magazine, which also happened to be the first year of the NCAA Basketball tournament. There is some debate as to whether or not Porter said the term “March Madness” first. Etymologist Barry Popik stated that the phrase was also used to describe an earlier tournament, the 1931 state high school basketball tournament in Indiana. In any case, “March Madness' ' wouldn't catch on and become a household name until legendary March Madness CBS sportscaster Brent Musburger popularized the term in the early 1980’s (who has covered many of march madness best moments).

In the early 1970’s, the NCAA tournament enacted two major changes to how the tournament would run. The first coming in 1971, when the NCAA announced that teams who declined to take part in their tournament would be banned from partaking in any other post-season tournaments. This rule came to be in part because a year earlier, Marquette decided to decline their invitation to the NCAA tournament in favor of playing in the NIT competition instead. Marquette declined their invite because they felt slighted by their regional placement in the bracket. They had been slotted in the “Midwest” bracket, rather than their preferred “Mideast” bracket which was geographically closer to the school. As crazy as that might sound today, Marquette’s coach Al McGwuire reasoned that the NIT was held in New York, at Madison Square Garden. This provided a much bigger media market, and exposure to the young college kids playing in the game, that they may not have received in the March Madness highlights (with the final being held at College Park, in Maryland that year). The other major change came in 1975, when the NCAA opened up the tournament to allow multiple teams from the same conference to compete. Due to this change, the tournament would undergo major expansions over the next several years. A staple of the tournament, team seeding/the ncaa tournament selection, was first introduced by the Division I Basketball Committee during the 1978 tournament (which caused some controversy at the time, with some media outlets declaring the seeding in the ncaa tournament bracket as unfair).

Finally, a women’s edition to the tournament was first introduced in 1982, marking a historic moment for women's collegiate sports. The tournament's inception laid the foundation for the growth and recognition of the women's collegiate basketball, providing female athletes with an opportunity to showcase their skills, compete for a national title, and contribute to the broader evolution of women's sports. The success of the 1982 tournament played a pivotal role in establishing the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament as an annual tradition that continues to captivate audiences and celebrate the achievements of women's college basketball highlights.

The legacy of March Madness basketball extends far beyond the hardwood courts, encapsulating the essence of college basketball fervor and sporting unpredictability. With iconic buzzer beaters, Cinderella stories, and the emergence of future basketball legends, March Madness has ingrained itself in the American sports psyche. Even US presidents have gotten in on the action of march madness predictions by filling out a March Madness bracket. The legacy of the ncaa tournament is a testament to the enduring appeal of ncaa basketball, transcending generations and providing an annual spectacle that unites fans in the celebration of competition, sportsmanship, and the unpredictable beauty of the March Madness games.

So what did you guys think about all of the changes in March Madness history over the years? Do you prefer a 68 team tournament, or do you think it’s too big as it is? Or would you like to see more teams added in college hoops? Let me know in the comments below!

THE BIRTH OF MARCH MADNESS BASKETBALL: HOW DID IT START? // A MARCH MADNESS HISTORY DOCUMENTARY