How many perfect brackets have there been in history?
The question of how many perfect brackets have there been in history is a fascinating one, especially for those who are fans of sports betting and March Madness. A perfect bracket is one that correctly predicts the outcome of every single game in a tournament, which is often a daunting task given the sheer number of games and the unpredictable nature of sports. But just how many perfect brackets have been filled out over the years? Let’s delve into this intriguing topic.
The first thing to note is that the concept of a perfect bracket is relatively new. The first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was held in 1939, and it wasn’t until the 1980s that the idea of filling out a bracket became popular. With the advent of computers and the internet, the number of brackets filled out has skyrocketed, making it even more challenging to find a perfect one.
In the early years of the tournament, the number of perfect brackets was negligible. However, as the popularity of the tournament grew, so did the number of brackets filled out. According to the NCAA, there were only 486 perfect brackets in the 1980 tournament, which was the first year that brackets were filled out on a large scale.
Since then, the number of perfect brackets has increased, but it remains a rare occurrence. In the 1989 tournament, there were 5,458 perfect brackets, and in the 1990 tournament, the number increased to 8,992. The following year, in 1991, the number of perfect brackets soared to 24,338, marking the first time that the number exceeded 20,000.
The year 1992 was a particularly memorable one for perfect brackets. That year, there were 91,546 perfect brackets filled out, making it the highest number in history at that time. However, the following year, in 1993, the number of perfect brackets plummeted to 17,838, likely due to the unexpected upset of the heavily favored Michigan Wolverines by the Kentucky Wildcats in the championship game.
Since then, the number of perfect brackets has fluctuated, but it has never again reached the heights of the 1992 tournament. In the 2019 tournament, there were 8,672 perfect brackets, and in the 2020 tournament, which was held during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were only 3,695 perfect brackets.
While the number of perfect brackets has been on the decline, the quest for the perfect bracket continues to captivate sports fans around the world. With the advent of online bracket challenges and the use of advanced analytics, the search for the perfect bracket has become more accessible than ever before. However, the question remains: how many perfect brackets have there been in history, and will we ever see another year with a number that surpasses the 1992 tournament? Only time will tell.
