Current:Home > MyRobert Brown|Has there ever been perfect March Madness bracket? NCAA tournament odds not in your favor -RiskWatch
Robert Brown|Has there ever been perfect March Madness bracket? NCAA tournament odds not in your favor
TradeEdge Exchange View
Date:2025-04-11 08:54:37
After No. 16 seed Farleigh Dickinson shocked the world and Robert Brownupset No. 1 seed Purdue in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament – becoming only the second men's No. 16 seed to take down a No. 1 seed – the NCAA announced there were no more perfect brackets remaining out of more than 20 million submissions.
That might lead many hopeful participants to wonder if there's ever been a perfect NCAA tournament bracket during March Madness, home of the buzzer beaters, upsets and Cinderella runs?
The answer is a resounding no. There has never been a perfect bracket that correctly guessed the outcome of all 63 games in the tournament, despite millions and millions of brackets submitted each year. That fact, however, won't discourage millions and millions of more participants from trying to hit a slam dunk this year.
MEN'S 2024 MARCH MADNESS: Dates, times, odds and more
WOMEN'S 2024 MARCH MADNESS:Selection Sunday dates, TV info, more
IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
Here's everything you need to know about an elusive perfect bracket:
Has anyone ever had a perfect March Madness bracket?
No.
What are the odds of a perfect March Madness bracket?
The chances of predicting a perfect bracket are extremely low. There is a one in 9.2 quintillion chance of guessing a perfect bracket, according to the NCAA. (It's worth noting that one quintillion is one billion billions.)
The odds are slightly better if you are familiar with college basketball: 1 in 120.2 billion.
What's the longest a bracket has ever stayed perfect?
According to the NCAA, an Ohio man correctly predicted the entire 2019 men's NCAA tournament into the Sweet 16, which set the record for the longest verified March Madness bracket win streak at 49 games. (The NCAA began tracking brackets from major online platforms, including their Men and Women's Bracket Challenge Game, ESPN, CBS and Yahoo, since 2016.)
5 simple tips and predictions:38 years of NCAA tournament history to help you set up your bracket
What is the Warren Buffett March Madness bracket challenge?
Warren Buffett holds an annual competition that offers a massive payday to any participant who can correctly guess a perfect bracket for the NCAA tournament. If you are able to accomplish the near-impossible feat, Buffett has previously offered anywhere from $1 billion to $1 million per year for the rest of the winner's life.
If no one achieves perfection, the person whose bracket remains intact the longest often times earns a prize. (In 2017, a steel worker from West Virginia correctly predicted 31 of the first 32 games and picked up a $100,000 reward.) The competition originally started off as a company-wide contest amongst Berkshire Hathaway in 2014, but has sometimes expanded to include the public, as the rules and prizes have varied from year-to-year.
Buffett is good for the money. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO is the sixth-wealthiest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $106 billion, according to Forbes.
No details for a 2024 Warren Buffett March Madness bracket challenge a have released so far.
USA TODAY's bracket challenge
USA TODAY is offering a $1 million prize for perfect brackets. Check out https://brackets.usatoday.com/ to play. Participants can make their picks and invite family and friends to get in a pool. Brackets open March 17.
veryGood! (73)
Related
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- In a First, Arizona’s Attorney General Sues an Industrial Farm Over Its Water Use
- Ohio Supreme Court sides with pharmacies in appeal of $650 million opioid judgment
- Pakistan ex
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- KISS OF LIFE reflects on sold
- Small plane crashes onto New York highway, killing 1 person and injuring another
- Austin Tice's parents reveal how the family coped for the last 12 years
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- KISS OF LIFE reflects on sold
Ranking
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- 'We are all angry': Syrian doctor describes bodies from prisons showing torture
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Arizona city sues federal government over PFAS contamination at Air Force base
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Federal appeals court takes step closer to banning TikTok in US: Here's what to know
- Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did
- Trump says Kari Lake will lead Voice of America. He attacked it during his first term
Recommendation
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
South Korea opposition leader Lee says impeaching Yoon best way to restore order
TikTok asks Supreme Court to review ban legislation, content creators react: What to know
Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
Man on trial in Ole Miss student’s death lied to investigators, police chief says
Social media platform Bluesky nearing 25 million users in continued post
Analysis: After Juan Soto’s megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon