Methods to the Madness: Various traditions for March Madness

While other students and staff spend their spring breaks basking in the sun on the beach or skiing mountaintops, math teacher Christopher Burrows and his family have a different idea for break. For 37 years in a row, he’s stayed home over break with the same plan — crafting a March Madness bracket with his family. His son, Jackson Burrows says it’s the perfect opportunity for family time.

But Burrows isn’t the only March Madness superfan in the East area — freshmen Vince Kopp and Hudson Weaver spend all 31 days of March glued to their TV.

Each year, the Kopp and Weaver families make their brackets, tracking who’s the most accurate throughout the tournament. Kopp’s family competes for a pot. On his own, he bets from $5 to $10 depending on how confident he is in a game. On the contrary, Weaver’s family competes for bragging rights — which is considered high stakes, especially in their competitive family. 

While Weaver doesn’t bet, he tries to create the most accurate bracket. 

“I usually make a bracket with two groups — family and friends,” Weaver says. “I like to watch all of the games with my friends at a friend’s house.”

March Madness consists of intense competition — both on the court and the couch. Game days with the Kopp and Weaver families consist of connecting through their common interest while they cheer for their chosen teams with snacks and drinks galore — typically the classic tortilla chips, guacamole and various sodas. 

However, not all families get as invested as the Kopps or Weavers in the competition. Sophomore Elizabeth Starr completes a bracket with her family, but doesn’t put much thought into the results. Family time is what she values most about making the brackets — being the eldest of three means she only has so long with her siblings, and she wants to enjoy every last minute of it.

“My little brother gets very excited about the brackets every year,” Starr said. “I enjoy trying to compete with him.”

Even more laid back is sophomore Jordan Fuller, who entirely wings her bracket by choosing her winners based on her favorite team logos. 

“I hate yellow and green, so teams with those colors usually lose earlier on,” Fuller said. 

Despite her controversial selection process, Fuller predicted the two losses that shocked many fans — two of the #1 seeds getting out in the second round: Purdue and KU. Despite her seemingly careless approach, she’s currently winning in her bracket. Fuller says her dad was frustrated with her naive success, saying he gave her a “very hard stare.”

While many people have different methods to their Madness, March Madness is something enjoyable for everyone.