March Madness: It’s Not Just Basketball

March 30, 2026

Writer: Lainey Morello

Editor: Megan Lennemann

 This game was supposed to be a blowout. A 16-seed hopeful against a 1-seed dynasty. The roster full of NBA prospects find themselves in a dangerously close game against a group of future doctors, teachers, and accountants. Despite the rankings, despite the stark contrast in their strength of schedule, and despite the country having zero faith, the underdogs find themselves up 2 with 3.2 seconds to go in the first round of the NCAA tournament. And to make things all the more exciting, the 1 seed has possession going into what would become the final play of the game. One of the most gifted athletes you've ever seen inbounds the ball in a slow roll up the court, an attempt to reserve as much time as possible for the future #1 NBA draft pick to make the play of the century. 

From the coaches and players to the photographers and fans, there is not an ounce of calm in the entire arena. The bench for the 16-seed team is holding in their excitement, praying they keep the lead, simply grateful for the opportunity to play. But not even 70 feet down the court, the bench for the 1-seed is wavering on the edge of defeat. Tears are welling as national championship dreams disappear much faster than anyone could have predicted. 

A shifty point guard, whose name has appeared in midseason rankings consistently across the season, has the ball on a string, trying to make just enough space to get a shot off. But he can't quite shake the defender: a 19-year-old studying biology on a pre-med track at a tiny but prestigious school located in the rural Midwest. His pure grit, heart, and love for the game are incomparable to the future professional talent in front of him. But all rankings, all predictions, all statistics, all talent, and draft stock become meaningless in the month of March. This is madness after all.

The final shot goes up - a stepback three that, if made, would replay on highlight reels for years to come. The world stops for a moment as players and fans alike gaze at a near-perfect shot. The arc is pure, the release is quick, the spin is consistent, but the aim falls three inches too far left. The ball hits the rim with a thud and bounces, in dramatic fashion, into the air with no chance at redemption. The impossible becomes reality.

For one team, a Cinderella story has just begun. The mid-major team's head coach is paralyzed with joy, and previously unranked recruits sprint to celebrate with their bench, smiles plastered across their faces as happy tears stain their cheeks.

But for the other team, their perfect season is over. A somber wave floods the bench, and future Hall of Famers drop to their knees on the court, frozen in time. Shock turns limbs to lead, and jaws drop at the unexpected upset. 

It's a tale of two stories that is all too familiar in the postseason tournament. But this madness is not confined to the court. The unpredictable, stormy, and emotional atmosphere expands far beyond the lives of student athletes. The transition from the steady grey winter into the lawless chaos of spring is rarely graceful. 

For some, the first warm day in March brings instant relief to those who have been weighed down by seasonal depression. The clear blue skies radiate UV rays, melting the thick layers of ice that have desaturated life over the past four months. 

For others, the first sunny day in March acts only as a reminder that, despite the long winter coming to a close, persistent depressive episodes won't fade quite as easily.

Nevertheless, the bliss concludes at midnight as temperatures drop back to frigid and clouds cover clear skies. Being suddenly swarmed again by grey gloom, pesky snowflakes, and arctic winds after just 12 hours of riding the spring high is simultaneously jarring and miserable.

Some resent the groundhog; some curse the geography. But one thing is for certain: we were all teased with a taste of warmer weather and hopeful days, only to have it ripped away. It's a cruel joke. A false spring. 

The first nice day mirrors the heartwarming Cinderella story: unexpected joy, emotion, and excitement that cannot be contained; a wave of hope that brings a flood of relief. But the indecision from Mother Nature becomes fuel for unpredictable mood swings; a dramatic shift as the tournament trajectory is rerouted on a whim.

But that's the inevitable madness of March.