The Rambler is sponsoring its third annual Bracket Challenge , a school-wide men’s NCAA Tournament bracket competition. Entry into the competition was free for any student or faculty member, and each person was limited to one bracket in the pool. The winner will receive a $35 iTunes gift card, and second and third place finishers each will receive a $10 iTunes gift card.
The NCAA Tournament, better known as March Madness, consists of 68 teams battling for the national championship. The Rambler had 58 total entries from students and faculty combined. The most popular picked team to win the championship was the Kentucky Wildcats. More than 40 percent brackets of all brackets entered had Kentucky winning it all. Kentucky has gone undefeated so far this season, which landed them the first overall seed in the tournament and has made them the favorite to win. The Wildcats defeated Hampton easily last night to advance to the Round of 32 on Saturday.
The next four most popular teams picked to win the tournament by contestants were Arizona (15.5 percent), Duke (12 percent), Wisconsin (8.6 percent), and Notre Dame (6.9 percent). It is clear that Kentucky is the dominant favorite in The Rambler‘s contest, but many contestants feel confident that Kentucky is not winning it. Senior and March Madness fanatic Sean Reed is one of five people who picked Wisconsin. “It’s the Badgers’ year,” Reed said. “I picked them, and they let me down last year, but I know they will bring home the hardware this year!” Reed’s confidence is admirable, but its tough to go against the odds-on favorite Kentucky.

Whether you filled out a bracket or multiple brackets, March Madness is one the most exciting tournaments in all of sports. On the first day of tournament play, three of the first six teams to play were upset. One entered bracket to the contest has lost their champion, Iowa State, who was a 3 seed that lost a thriller to 14th seeded UAB.
March Madness can make you scream at your TV as you watch your bracket get ruined or make you cheer as you see your Cinderella story make a run deep into the tournament. It is definitely a must-watch for all sports fans, so tune in to watch some very exciting basketball.
The round of 64 resumes today with 16 more games beginning at 12:15 p.m. Eastern time.