The NCAA men’s basketball tournament was madness this 2021 season, and brackets were surely hectic for most. 

          The Championship game featured Baylor and an undefeated 31-win Gonzaga team. Gonzaga went into the game on April 5^th as favorites to win but were upset by Baylor 86-70. That game right there was just the cap on the many upsets that happened throughout the tournament. 

            In the second round for Illinois, they were upset by underdog and 8 seed Loyola-Chicago. This was one of many top seed upsets that included Texas, Virginia and always heavily favored Ohio State. 

            “After the first few games of the tournament my bracket was completely shattered,” freshman Brock Lakin stated. 

            Lakin entered SAU’s bracket challenge. The bracket hosted by St. Ambrose’s First- and Second-Year Experience was a chance to get engagement from students new to the SAU campus. 

            “I saw the flyer to fill out a bracket in Cosgrove and just jumped right on. I told my teammates in my hall about it too,” Lakin said. 

            The First- and Second-Year Experience is aimed at developing academic and social opportunities to ease the transition into college. They were able to get over 100+ students according to the dean of students Christopher Waugh. The winner, yet to be determined, will win prizes from the school. 

            According to NCAA, every march madness bracket was busted by March 21^st, 2 weeks before the national championship game. The brackets at SAU fared the same as most brackets were busted before the sweet sixteen. 

            Along with events like march madness bracket’s, SAU offers many events for first and second year students to engage with the school and community on campus.