The Big Dance

Covered by four networks, allowing every game to be televised, “March Madness” has become an American phenomenon. This is the story of the tournament, from its beginnings seventy-three years ago as an eight-team "bracket" to today's sixty-eight-team format—from "Cinderella" teams, to perennial powerhouses, to buzzer-beaters, upsets, and dynasties.

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Covered by four networks, allowing every game to be televised, “March Madness” has become an American phenomenon as anticipated as the Super Bowl. This is the story of the tournament from its beginnings seventy-three years ago as just an eight-team “bracket” to today’s sixty-eight-team format. From the “Cinderella” teams like Butler and Gonzaga to perennial powerhouses such as UCLA and Kentucky, covering buzzer-beaters, upsets, and dynasties, the story of one of the most-followed sporting events in history is comprehensively told here.