March Madness quiz questions: college basketball's biggest tournament

Every March, college basketball takes over American sports. The NCAA tournament is a single-elimination bracket where upsets happen constantly, unknown schools become household names overnight, and office pools consume entire workplaces. Whether you're putting together a sports round or just want to test your friends' knowledge of college hoops, these ten questions cover the history, traditions, and wild moments that define the tournament.

The questions

1How many teams compete in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament?

Answer:68(click to reveal)

The field expanded from 64 to 68 in 2011. The extra four teams play in the First Four, a set of play-in games held in Dayton, Ohio, before the main bracket begins.

2What term, coined by ESPN's Joe Lunardi in the 1990s, describes the practice of predicting which teams will make the tournament bracket?

Answer:Bracketology(click to reveal)

Lunardi created the concept while working with The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1996 and has been ESPN's resident bracketologist ever since. The term has become so widespread that it's basically its own genre of sports analysis at this point. More on its origins at ESPN.

3In 2018, which university became the first ever No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the men's tournament?

Answer:UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)(click to reveal)

The Retrievers beat top-seeded Virginia 74-54, and it wasn't even close in the second half. Before that game, No. 16 seeds were 0-135 all time against No. 1 seeds. Read the full story at NCAA.com.

4What's the nickname for a lower-seeded team that makes a surprise deep run in the tournament?

Answer:A Cinderella team (or Cinderella story)(click to reveal)

The term has been linked to the NCAA tournament since broadcaster Brent Musburger used it during the 1982 tournament. Famous examples include the 1985 Villanova Wildcats, who won the whole thing as a No. 8 seed, and the 2022 Saint Peter's Peacocks, who became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.

5Which university holds the record for the most NCAA men's basketball championships, with 11 titles?

Answer:UCLA(click to reveal)

Ten of those titles came under coach John Wooden between 1964 and 1975, including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. That kind of dominance is almost impossible to imagine in today's game. UCLA's championship history at NCAA.com.

6Which Duke player hit a famous turnaround jumper at the buzzer to beat Kentucky 104-103 in overtime during the 1992 East Regional final?

Answer:Christian Laettner(click to reveal)

He went 10-for-10 from the field and 10-for-10 from the free throw line in that game. Grant Hill threw a full-court pass with 2.1 seconds left, and the rest is history. Sports Illustrated later called it the greatest college basketball game ever played.

7The 1979 NCAA championship game featured the first matchup between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Which school did Johnson lead to the title that year?

Answer:Michigan State(click to reveal)

The Spartans beat Bird's Indiana State Sycamores 75-64. That game is often credited with sparking the modern popularity of college basketball, and their rivalry carried on for years in the NBA. More about the game on Wikipedia.

8What is the name of the song played at the end of the tournament's TV coverage each year, set to a highlight montage of the tournament's best moments?

Answer:"One Shining Moment"(click to reveal)

Written by David Barrett in 1986 and first used by CBS in 1987, it's become one of the most recognisable traditions in American sports broadcasting. Several artists have recorded versions over the years, including Luther Vandross, whose rendition has been used most frequently.

9What is the name of the Sunday in March when the NCAA selection committee reveals the 68-team bracket on live television?

Answer:Selection Sunday(click to reveal)

A 12-member committee spends days evaluating teams before announcing the bracket. Thirty-one spots go to conference champions automatically, and the remaining 37 are awarded as at-large bids based on metrics like NET rankings and strength of schedule. Details on the selection process at NCAA.org.

10In which city will the 2026 NCAA Men's Final Four be held?

Answer:Indianapolis(click to reveal)

Lucas Oil Stadium hosts the semifinal games on April 4 and the championship on April 6. It'll be the fourth time the stadium has hosted the event, and the city's ninth Final Four overall. More details at the official site.

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These questions work well in a dedicated sports round or mixed in with general knowledge. March Madness has so much history that you could easily build an entire quiz night around it.