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🏀 Welcome to March Madness 2026

Build your dream team. Trust your gut. Blame the refs.

📋 Instructions
  1. Create an account — it only takes a minute
  2. Create an entry under your account
  3. Venmo $20 to @TheDerekBlum — include your email and bracket name in the comments
  4. You can edit your picks and tiebreaker anytime until the tournament goes live — after that, all entries are locked

Submission and payment must be sent BEFORE Thursday 3/19 at 11:30 AM!

Feel free to pass this on to others who are interested.

💰 Cost & Payouts

Payouts — 100% of the pool is paid out:

$20 from the pool covers web services to run the site. The rest goes to the winners.

🥇
1st Place — 70% of pool money
after 3rd place payout
🥈
2nd Place — 30% of pool money
after 3rd place payout
🥉
3rd Place — $20
your entry fee back
Example: 20 entries = $400 pool. $20 covers web services. 3rd gets $20. Remaining $360: 1st takes $252, 2nd takes $108.
📖 Rules

You select:

  • 6 Players from Seeds 1–4
  • 5 Players from Seeds 5–8
  • 4 Players from Seeds 9–12
  • 3 Players from Seeds 13–16
  • 4 Teams (coaches)

Each player earns 1 point for every point they score in a game. Each coach earns 10 points for every win their team picks up. Your total score is the sum of all points accumulated by your players and coaches throughout the tournament. The entry with the most points wins.

📌 Other Rules
  • Submission and payment must be received BEFORE Thursday 3/19 at 11:30 AM!
  • Players in Tues/Weds games do not accumulate points from that round — only Round of 64 and beyond. Make sure their team advances!
  • You can pick any 4 teams — they can even be in the same region!
  • After paying, check the Paid Entries page to confirm your submission is listed.

Any questions? Text Derek: 610-517-5744

I started a new job on 3/16, so I will not be responsive until after 6 pm during the week.

Reports
🏆 Current Standings
Every entry ranked by total points scored so far. Updated after each score run.
📋 All Entries (Brackets)
Browse every bracket in the pool — see who picked which players and how their team is performing.
⚖️ Compare (Brackets)
Pick two entries side by side and see exactly where they differ — useful for trash talk and self-reflection.
📊 Player Data (Pool Info)
See how many points each player has scored across all rounds of the tournament.
💰 Paid Entries (Pool Info)
See who's in the pool, their bracket name, and whether their payment has been received.
🔄 Last Update (Pool Info)
See the results of the most recent score run — which games were processed, which are in progress, and which are final.
⚠️ A Few Words of Wisdom Before You Pick
  • Past performance of your gut feeling is not indicative of future results.
  • Your spreadsheet cannot help you here. Neither can your lucky socks. Pick anyway.
  • The #1 seed loses every year — until it doesn't. Good luck with that.
  • Picking your alma mater is always emotionally correct and statistically questionable.
  • Even the experts are wrong. Especially the experts.
  • May your players stay healthy, your coaches stay calm, and your bracket survive the first weekend.

Ready to play? Create an account or log in to submit your entry.