Skip to content
Sign In Subscribe
The New York Times — Sports — College Basketball — NCAA Basketball Championships (Women) — NCAA Basketball Championships (Men) — College Athletics

The Impossible Allure of the Perfect Bracket

Millions of people submit their picks for the N.C.A.A. men's and women's basketball tournaments to office pools and online contests, and then strive for perfection, trying to will their bracket into existence. The probability of predicting a perfect bracket is about one in 9.2 quintillion coin flips

1 min read
  • A blank college basketball bracket is a beautiful thing waiting to be slalomed upon.
  • Millions submit their picks for the N.C.A.A. men's and women's basketball tournaments to office pools and online contests.
  • The probability of predicting a perfect bracket is about one in 9.2 quintillion coin flips.
  • In 2019, Gregg Nigl went on the longest verifiably perfect run in N.C.A.A. men's tournament history.
  • Warren Buffett partnered with Quicken Loans to offer a promotional $1 billion prize to anyone who achieved a perfect bracket.
The Impossible Allure of the Perfect Bracket
College basketball fans are on the hunt for the perfect bracket every year. The odds are not in their favor.
The New York TimesBy Andrew Keh

More in Sports

More from The New York Times

Latest