A brief history of March Madness

The March Madness we all know and love was born in Illinois. It started as a small high school basketball tournament but eventually got bigger. It turned into a tournament that 900 high schools competed to get into. The sweet sixteen was always a highlight that drew big crowds. This tournament grew and grew and the state of Illinois started producing more and more merchandise. Eventually, the championship game would start to be played at The University of Illinois. This tournament migrated to college and became a huge deal. Before players got drafted into the NBA, they got their chance to win the trophy. Players like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played in the championship game. This huge, crazy tournament started as a small high school tournament.