Where Did the Madness Begin?
Every year, like clockwork, our entire country is galvanized by a single purpose – College Basketball. While perhaps not as patriotic as the 4th of July Community Picnic, or as gluttonous as Thanksgiving with the family, March Madness is without a doubt celebrated with as much glee. Yet, though we all know the history of the 4th, and of Thanksgiving, how many of us know where March Madness originated?
It all started in 1939 when eight college teams competed in the National Invitational Tournament. That event did not, however, determine an overall national champion. The NCAA Tournament, which eventually took over the NIT, grew in popularity during the next decade. In the 50’s, the number of teams grew from 8 –16, then expanded to 40 teams in the 70’s and to 64 teams in the 80’s. The current 68-team tournament was established in 2011.
The phrase ‘March Madness” was coined by Henry V. Porter, the assistant executive secretary of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in his essay entitled March Madness about the state’s enthusiasm for high school b-ball. The phrase caught national attention and graduated to college ball when CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during the 1982 tournament.
In a great show of ‘un-sportsmanlike-conduct’, the IHAS and the NCAA went to court to adjudicate who owned the rights to the phrase. In a final determination, IHSA was awarded rights to use the phrase when referring to high school games, while the NCAA gained the rights to the collegiate-level usage of the term.
And thus, March Madness was born – the period of time in the Month of March where nothing matters more than the 3-point shot.
