How Much Perfect Brackets Are Left?
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, often referred to as “March Madness,” is a highly anticipated annual event that captures the excitement and passion of college basketball fans across the United States. With 68 teams battling it out in a single-elimination tournament, the potential for upsets and the dream of a perfect bracket have become legendary. However, as the tournament progresses, the question on many fans’ minds becomes: how much perfect brackets are left?
Perfect brackets, in this context, refer to brackets that accurately predict the outcome of every game throughout the entire tournament. Given the vast number of possible outcomes, the chances of filling out a perfect bracket are incredibly slim. According to the American Statistical Association, the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are approximately 1 in 9.2 quintillion. With millions of brackets submitted each year, the quest for the perfect bracket has become a symbol of the unattainable dream in sports.
As the tournament unfolds, the number of perfect brackets diminishes rapidly. The initial field of 68 teams is reduced to 64 after the first round, then to 32 after the second round, and so on. Each round eliminates a significant portion of the brackets, as incorrect picks are eliminated. The question then becomes: how many perfect brackets are left after each round?
After the first round, also known as the “Sweet 16,” the number of perfect brackets is already reduced to approximately 17 million. This is because, on average, around 51% of brackets are eliminated after each round. By the time the tournament reaches the Elite Eight, the number of perfect brackets has dwindled to around 2.1 million, and by the Final Four, the number is down to approximately 269,000.
The last few rounds of the tournament are where the magic happens. With only a few teams remaining, the number of perfect brackets plummets. For example, in the 2019 tournament, there were just 1,728 perfect brackets left after the Final Four, and only one lucky fan managed to fill out a perfect bracket that year.
In conclusion, the number of perfect brackets left in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament diminishes rapidly as the tournament progresses. With the odds stacked against them, fans who fill out brackets often do so for the sheer enjoyment and camaraderie, rather than the slim chance of winning a significant prize. As the tournament continues to captivate fans, the allure of the perfect bracket remains a tantalizing yet elusive goal for those who dare to dream.
