How to Throw a March Madness Party

​Want to know how to throw an exciting March Madness party?  Read below for the details.

It's that time of year when the brackets are out and millions of people will be filling them out in hopes of winning their local office pool.  Many people will take the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament off work to watch games at home or even their favorite sports bar.  I have long argued those two days should be holidays.

Employees spending time at work streaming games can have an economic impact on the workplace.  A 2021 analysis report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggested " that between 23 million and 34.5 million workers would fill out brackets" for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.  The report also suggested the 2021 tournament could have possibly cost employers over $13 billion from their workforce.

Now fast forward to 2023 NCAA Tournament...  According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas the 2023 NCAA Tournament cost employers $17.3 billion dollars.  That's $1 billion more than last year.   Another stat - $2.55 billion dollars - Lost wages resulting from the possibility of 48% of all workers, or 76,951,200 people, spending at least one hour of one workday on March Madness activities.  You can find more information and stats from their report at the link below. 

https://www.challengergray.com/blog/the-2023-tournament-will-cost-employers-17-3b-1b-more-than-last-year/

A lot of people will have friends over to watch the games.  It’s not that difficult or expensive to throw an exciting March Madness party.  I’ve lost count of how many years I have thrown a March Madness party.  Every year, we seem to up the ante and do something unique.

Below are some ideas to help you throw a party your friends won’t forget.

The first thing is your setup.  Most households own at least 2 TVs and multiple electronic devices.  CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV will be showing the games of the NCAA tourney.  At some points, you can have 4 games airing at once.  My basic setup consist of 3 or 4  TVs displaying games from YouTube TV and 1 or 2 laptops either streaming the other games or displaying the bracket.

Over the years, we have changed the lineup.  Some years I have used my iPad to display the bracket.  One year, I had an iPod (remember iPods?)  in the guest bathroom streaming games so that even when nature calls, you wouldn’t miss the game.  As you can see, with the basic electronic items that many people own, you can set your house up to rival a Buffalo Wild Wings.

The second item on the agenda is the food.  Pizza, wings, and buffalo chicken dip seem to be the go-to for my party every year.  Pick the food, snacks, and beverages you would like to have at your event.  Some years, I have had a friend decorate a Duke themed March Madness cake for my party.  As you can see, get as creative as you want with food selections.

​The third item on the agenda is the extras.  This includes things such as decorations, activities, or even souvenirs.  The past several years I have bought a 2x3 feet size bracket off Ebay to hang up in the mancave as we watch the games.  We update the bracket after each game.  This year I splurged and finally got the Fathead March Madness bracket.  I bought the giant size bracket... and let me say... this bracket is huge!  I also set up my Duke corn hole boards outside as an extra activity.  One year I even had custom-made koozies for my March Madness party. 

Last, but not least is to fill out the bracket and enter a March Madness bracket challenge. There are several sites such as ESPN, Yahoo, and CBS that offer a bracket competition and some offer prizes. I enter online bracket challenges as well as a few local bracket challenges and even help lead one that gives out the coveted FC LAKE2LAKE March Madness Bracketology trophy to the winner. Hosting a party with your friends all in the same bracket challenge just adds to the excitement of March Madness as you all compete to become the winner of Bracketology.

All it takes is a little creativity and you can throw an exciting March Madness party!  The next 3 weeks, March Madness will be talked about everywhere.
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Whether it’s coworkers discussing the games over a lunch break, friends getting together at the local sports bar to cheer on their team, or living rooms being turned into temporary sports bars to display all the games, March Madness is truly a unique sporting event that all can enjoy.