March is approaching quickly and college basketball will soon be everywhere you look. Crack your back and hydrate up because now’s the time to get ready for the first tip-off.
There are many things to tackle as the tournament comes closer — so get ready! To help out a bit, we’ve already put together our list of the biggest “must-do” tasks before the first game.
Bracketology, anyone?
Make sure you do your bracket research so you can get together your best picks. It’s best to double check the top men’s and women’s college basketball teams if you haven’t already. You can check out team stats, expert picks and the best bracket tips online to make sure you’re as prepared as possible when it comes to bracket time.
Or, you know, just pick randomly to really annoy your friends when you correctly call all the upsets.
Choose your team
Is your alma mater famous for their basketball? Great! If you don’t have an alma mater to root for, don’t worry! There are tons of teams just waiting for more fans to join their rally. Choosing a team isn’t so difficult; whether you want to root for an elite competitor, a slick underdog, or a fun local team, you’ll be sure to find one that makes rooting fun. Pick an underdog if you want to really experience the rollercoaster of the tournament.
Get that bracket filled
Now, it’s bracket time. By now you’ve done your research and chosen your team, so it only makes sense that you’ll finally feel ready to fill out your bracket. Listen to the stats and experts, of course, but don’t forget to trust your gut and do what feels right.
Click here if you want more information on choosing the right bracket platform.
Stock up on the snacks and find your tribe
Yelling at the TV is just more fun with friends. Whether it’s your lucky chair or your friends’ favorite sports bar, you need to start thinking about the perfect place to spend each game. No matter where you decide, make sure you pick a comfortable spot for you and your friends to enjoy every minute. And don’t forget the snacks.
Make a plan for watching at work
There’s a lot of high-tech ways to watch games mid-day and keep your job, but time management is key. Explore your options, like the emergency “boss button” or a convenient contagious disease that keeps you working from home. Know that you’re not alone in this quest for streaming game time — studies have even shown that vasectomy rates go up during March Madness so there’s time to recover in front of the TV.
It’s easy to get a little wrapped up in the competition of it all, but remember that losses are good for emotional growth and having a vicious rivalry can help sustain you during the college basketball-less months ahead.
The content is featured on https://www.directv.com/insider/ is editorial content brought to you by DIRECTV. While some of the programming discussed may now or in the future be available affiliates distribution services, the companies and persons discussed and depicted, and the authors and publishers of licensed content, are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. When you click on ads on this site you may be taken to DIRECTV marketing pages that display advertising content. Content sponsored or co-created by programmers is identified as "Sponsored Content" or "Promoted Content."
