ESPN Tournament Challenge sets third-consecutive record with 24.4m brackets
According to ESPN, more than 709 brackets were filled out per second leading up to the start of play on March 20.
Key Points
- The NCAA March Madness tournament officially tipped-off with a matchup between the Creighton Blue Jays and Louisville Cardinals
- The most popular pick to win the men’s championship according to ESPN is Duke, with 25% of all brackets picking the Blue Devils, while Florida was a close second at 21%
The men’s edition of ESPN Tournament Challenge has set its third-consecutive record for the amount of brackets filled out prior to the start of March Madness, with contestants having entered 24.4m brackets compared to 22.6m during 2024.
At the peak period of entries shortly before the start of the first game today, ESPN Tournament Challenge registered more than 709 brackets per second according to the sports media site, with the 24.4m figure representing a total of 1.1bn picks made by contestants.
The most popular pick to win the men’s National Championship are the Duke Blue Devils with 25% of all brackets favoring the program, while Florida is the second most-picked to win the Final with a 21% share.
Each of the tournament’s number one seeds, including Duke, Florida, Auburn and Houston, are the most-favored choices to reach the Final Four stage this season, which has only ever occurred during the 2008 edition of March Madness.
Good to know: DraftKings sportsbook is offering a free $50k bracket entry for the NCAA Women’s March Madness tournament, with first place receiving a grand prize of $5k while second and third will each be awarded $1k
ESPN Tournament Challenge also allows fans to track the number of perfect brackets remaining in real-time for both men’s and women’s Tournament Challenge games with the Perfect Bracket Tracker. The tool provides insight on the games that have had, and could potentially have, the most impact on perfect brackets.
March Madness officially began play on March 20 with a matchup between the Creighton Blue Jays and Louisville Cardinals, following the First Four stage which saw Alabama State, North Carolina, Mount St. Mary’s and Xavier qualify for the round of 64.
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