Aside from the return of Daylight Savings Time and the nearing of spring, the month of March has become synonymous with one thing: the men's and women's NCAA Tournament. And over the years, the NCAA Tournament, filled with stunning upsets, thrilling finishes and edge-of-your-seat drama, can best be described with one word: madness. So it's no surprise that the term "March Madness" caught on. It's catchy, alliterative and perfectly describes the smorgasbord of action-packed and unpredictable college basketball that awaits every time the calendar moves on from February.
But where did the term "March Madness" originate? When did the NCAA start using it? And what about the term "The Big Dance?" We'll take a deep dive to answer those questions and more in a comprehensive history of the term's origin and its evolution over the years.
