Have you filled out your bracket yet? Who are you rooting for this year? Do you think there's going to be a Cinderella team?
These are just a few of the common questions you hear once March comes around—and not just from diehard sports fans. It seems like everyone catches March Madness fever each year.
This year, March Madness, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) annual college basketball tournament, begins on March 18 and ends on April 7. The 68 teams from both the men's and women's tournaments will be announced on March 16—and any team that loses their game is immediately eliminated from the single-elimination tournament. Safe to say that the stakes *are* high.
While schools like Auburn and Duke (for the men's tournament) and USC and UConn (for the women's tournament) are among this year’s frontrunners, many people love to root for the underdogs—or teams that are typically expected to lose. But you never know, we could watch a Cinderella story unfold, where a team plays far better than they were expected to—and maybe even wins the whole tournament. That possibility is what keeps viewers glued to their TVs.
Ahead, we spoke with two sports psychologists to learn more about why we love March Madness and a good Cinderella story—even if we don’t normally follow basketball (or any other sport).
Why March Madness is so beloved, even if you don’t watch sports
College basketball usually becomes a hot topic every March, with people all around you guessing which teams will make it to the Final Four. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, it’s fun to fill out a bracket (like these giant men's and women's brackets from Fathead) in the hopes you’ll win your office’s betting pool.
“Major sporting or competitive events, like March Madness, allow people who don't even usually follow college basketball to join in on this shared cultural experience and connect with others,” says certified mental performance consultant Amber M. Shipherd, PhD, CMPC, associate professor and exercise science/performance psychology program coordinator at Texas A&M University at Kingsville.
A phenomenon called “fan identification” could be another reason people get swept up into March Madness, according to Jamie Shapiro, PhD, CMPC, a professor of sport and performance psychology at the University of Denver. This happens when someone feels emotionally and socially connected to a team and their other fans.
“There’s a number of reasons for this fan identification,” Dr. Shapiro says. “It could be school spirit if one’s university is participating in March Madness, identifying with the same team as family members or friends, or because of someone choosing that team to win their bracket. Ultimately, fan identification comes down to social connectedness with others and a feeling of belonging.”
Social media and streaming services also play into the March Madness hype, according to Dr. Shapiro. “Fans can access the live games or replays at their fingertips and follow along with their bracket and the excitement of the competition whenever they like,” she says.
March Madness, Dr. Shipherd adds, is a “highly emotional experience and brings people together.” And we can all use some more community in our lives.
The psychology behind rooting for the underdog
Sure, cheering for the fan favorite is exciting and often results in a win. But you can’t deny the appeal of rooting for a lesser-known team and seeing them make it through each round. You know how you start listening to an artist before they rise to fame, and then they release a hit song that everyone knows? Yeah, it's that same feeling. Just think of the bragging rights you’ll earn when that team becomes the champion and you were in their corner from the beginning!
Aside from feeling validated that you were right, there’s another, deeper reason we tend to love a Cinderella story. “We like to root for underdogs because the idea of the underdog is more relatable to us than a powerhouse team,” Dr. Shipherd says.
Dr. Shapiro agrees. “Sports can be viewed as a microcosm of society,” she explains. “Fans might see themselves in the underdog team, trying to overcome obstacles or battle dominant forces in their systems—for example, a boss or someone wealthier than them. If the underdog team can win, that could instill hope that they can overcome their own challenges in life.”
To get into the psychology of it all, there are two theories that may explain why we love an underdog, according to Dr. Shipherd. “Social cognitive theory and self-determination theory both suggest that an underdog can motivate us to put forth effort,” she says. “Seeing a perhaps less talented but harder-working team succeed can help us improve our own confidence to overcome odds against us and show us that effort is what leads to success.”
An underdog team also plays into our emotions, per Dr. Shipherd. “Seeing an underdog win gives us more of an emotional high and is more exciting to watch than an expected outcome,” she says.
But, people also hope for a Cinderella team from a justice perspective. “People root for underdogs because they believe in fairness, and to correct perceived inequalities and reward effort over privilege,” Dr. Shipherd says. So go ahead, find your underdog this year, and support them loudly and proudly.
The bottom line
A huge part of the March Madness appeal is, of course, the social aspect. In a world where many of us live states away from our closest friends or work remotely, we cling to any chance we can get to connect with others. When everyone’s dialed into the same TV channel at the same time, you really feel the camaraderie—even if you're not in the same room.
But, people *love* a huge upset. When the 14th seed beats the 2nd seed, it’s all you’ll hear the news and the fans talking about. That’s because rooting for the underdog feels more relatable than rooting for the fan favorite, as most of us subconsciously think, “If they can do it, so can I.” So, while we don't know who this year's Cinderella team will be, we'll be sure to cheer them on when we find out.
Ready to tune in? March Madness games will air across the following channels starting on March 18: CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. You can also watch coverage on the March Madness App.
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