March Madness - Statistics & Facts

One of the most exciting aspects about being a sports fan is watching the development of future stars. In the case of basketball in the United States, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, more commonly known as March Madness, is an annual knockout basketball tournament featuring the best 68 college teams from Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which offers basketball fans a chance to see where the next Michael Jordan or LeBron James might come from. Taking place in spring every year since 1939, hence the name March Madness, the single-elimination tournament consists of several rounds, culminating in the "Final Four" (the semi-final stage) and The National Championship game.

Which team has the most March Madness championship titles?

The most successful college program in the history of the competition is the UCLA Bruins, with 11 titles to the team's name. The Bruins' achieved unparalleled success in the 1960s and 1970s, taking home 10 championships between 1964 and 1975. However, the Los Angeles-based team has found success harder to come by in recent years, with its last title coming back in 1995. The Bruins did reach the Final Four in 2021, but lost out to Gonzaga in overtime. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats team from the University of Kentucky hold the record for the most appearances in the March Madness tournament. The Wildcats have played in 58 editions of the event, with their most recent championship title coming in 2012. In terms of individual records, Austin Carr tops the list for the most individual points scored in a single March Madness game. The Notre Dame guard, who went on to have a successful career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), scored a record 61 points in a game against Ohio during the 1970 tournament.

How many people watch March Madness?

As a result of the unpredictable nature of the knockout tournament, March Madness has become one of the most popular sporting events in the United States among basketball fans and casual viewers alike, with over a third of the U.S. public following March Madness to some degree. Accordingly, the average TV viewership across the whole NCAA tournament stood at 10 million in the United States in 2023, a figure which has remained fairly consistent over the last decade of tournaments. Unsurprisingly, viewership peaks towards the end of the tournament, with over 14 million viewers from the United States tuning into the championship game in 2023. While many fans watch the dramatic games from the comfort of their own homes, thousands also attend the games live in the arenas.

How much money is bet on March Madness?

Since sports betting became legal in parts of the United States, March Madness has been one of the main events on the betting calendar. Fans can wager on the outcome of individual games, the eventual tournament winners, or even fill out entire brackets to predict how the whole tournament will pan out. These so-called brackets have become a staple for the tournament, with betting companies and media outlets hosting annual contests where huge sums of money can be won by those who successfully predict the outcome of every game. Estimates suggested that around 56 million adults in the United States intended to fill out a bracket during March Madness in 2023, while approximately 68 million U.S. adults intended to bet on the tournament games. That year, it was estimated that over 15 billion U.S. dollars was bet on March Madness in total, which was around a five-fold increase from the previous year. Despite the large sums of money surrounding the competition, college athletes in the U.S. do not receive a salary, which around half of the U.S. public believe should not change.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Apr 3, 2024

Key insights

Number of championships won by UCLA
11
College with the most Final Four appearances
North Carolina (21)
College with the most consecutive March Madness appearances
Kansas (32)
Get more insights

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Number of men's NCAA college basketball Final Four appearances by team from 1939 to 2023

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March Madness: Final Four appearances by team 1999-2023

Number of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship wins in the United States from 1939 to 2024, by team

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Teams with the most March Madness championship wins in the U.S. 1939-2024

NCAA Division I men's basketball average attendance in 2023, by team

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NCAA Division I men's basketball attendance 2023

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