MARCH MADNESS

After a three-day pause, the madness will resume on Thursday with the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

College basketball fans are ready for some March Madness fun and the crowds are electric in Orlando for the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament.

The stakes will be higher for March Madness this year in some states.

Orlando city officials predict NCAA's March Madness basketball games could bring in $14 million of economic impact for the region.

The buzz is starting to ramp up around the city after the announcement of the eight teams that are set to play during the first two rounds of March Madness – and while the sports community is excited, city leaders say this is a great economic opportunity.

March Madness is here!

Jermaine Samuels had 16 points and 10 rebounds as Villanova advanced to its third Final Four in the last six NCAA Tournaments with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Region final.

Morgan Maly matched a career high with 20 points and Lauren Jensen and Molly Mogensen each had 16 as 10th-seeded Creighton defeated No. 7 seed Colorado 84-74 in an NCAA tournament first-round game.

ESPN has treated the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament on the same level as the College Football Playoff and “Monday Night Football.”.

In case you've ever looked at an NCAA Tournament bracket and wondered, "Where the heck is that school located?," we have just the quiz for you.

About 45 million Americans say they plan to bet on this year’s March Madness college basketball championship tournament, and an increasing percentage will do it in a way that doesn’t include filling out brackets.

It’s tournament time, which, for college basketball fans, is the best time of the year.

College basketball fans hungering for a return to normal this March should feel happy.

Here’s your chance to show off by picking the winners of college basketball games, with a chance to win big prizes, including $1,000,000!

A year after the NCAA got called out for gender inequities between its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the organization has made changes over the past six months to make the events more equitable.

The NCAA women’s basketball tournament will start using “March Madness” in marketing and branding beginning this season.

The Indianapolis 500 plans to host 135,000 spectators next month, which would make it the largest sporting event in the world since the pandemic.

A Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – A Supreme Court case being argued this week amid March Madness could erode the difference between elite college athletes and professional sports stars. In 1984, the high court rejected NCAA rules restricting the broadcast of college football. Currently, athletic scholarships can cover the cost of college athletes’ attendance at college. Whatever happens at the high court, how college athletes are compensated is already likely changing.

(AP Photo/Wayne Parry)ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Some sports betting companies are offering tools that allow compulsive gamblers to block themselves from most online sites. Unibet last week announced it was making software from U.K.-based Gamban available to customers in the U.S. The software blocks thousands of licensed and unlicensed gambling sites and is constantly updated to add new ones as they appear. And states including New Jersey offer state-administered self-exclusion lists where gamblers can prohibit themselves from gambling for differing periods, or permanently. “We strongly support the ability of gamblers to self-exclude through both the operator and on their own personal devices,” he said.

The NCAA Tournament and bars were made for each other, with fans of powerhouse teams like Gonzaga and longshots like Colgate pouring in to cheer their teams. This year, the tournaments back, and bars and restaurants, some shuttered for months, are open for March Madness, though things may look a little different. This year, the tournament’s back, and bars and restaurants, some shuttered for months, are open for March Madness, though things may look a little different. As for those who choose to watch at bars or restaurants, their experiences will vary depending on their location. AdIn Chicago, city inspectors cite bars and restaurants that violate strict capacity rules.

4 seed Florida State Seminoles will play against the No. 13 seed UNC Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. This is the 18th time Florida State has made the NCAA Tournament. M.J. Walker leads the way for Florida State. The winner of FSU vs. UNCG will play against the winner of Georgetown vs. Colorado on March 22.

Here’s your chance to show your sports prowess -- or luck -- in picking college basketball games, with a chance to win big prizes, including $1,000,000 (if you choose every game correctly). Matchups for the News 6 Bracket Challenge will become official on Selection Sunday, March 14, and the games begin next week. [MORE: National prizes available | Sports page | News 6 TV listings]To be eligible, you must make your picks before the tip-off of each game. You will be competing (for fun, of course) against News 6 sports anchors Jamie Seh and Ryan Welch and other News 6 anchors, reporters and meteorologists. Unable to see the bracket?

But 8% fewer plan to fill out brackets pools because many offices remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Fewer Americans expect to fill out brackets for the NCAA's college basketball tournament this year, but the overall number of people making bets on March Madness should remain about the same as the last time the tournament was held, according to the gambling industry's national trade association. The American Gaming Association released figures Sunday predicting that more than 47 million Americans plan to make a bet — legal or otherwise — on March Madness this year. That's about the same number that said they planned to bet on the 2019 tournament. “The sports betting landscape has changed dramatically since 2019, and as a result, tournament betting has transformed,” AGA President and CEO Bill Miller said.

The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, approved a plan to allow college basketball players to start working with their coaches for the first time since the pandemic wiped out March Madness. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The summer access period for men's and women's players will begin July 20. The NCAA basketball tournaments were cancelled days before the fields were scheduled to be selected because of the coronavirus outbreak. It will also consider adding more activities for basketball players during the July 1-19 period.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Springs sports for the University of Central Florida and the rest of the teams in the American Athletic Conference have been suspended until further notice because of coronavirus, according to Commissioner Mike Aresco. [RELATED: Jazz stars Mitchell, Gobert test positive; Gobert apologizes]Conference officials will continue to work with health authorities. [RELATED: Major League Baseball delays opening day because of coronavirus]The NCAA announced they have canceled the remaining winter and spring championships including the March Madness tournaments. The NBA season is on pause, the NHL season is on pause, the MLS season is on pause and the MLB season will start at a later date. [RELATED: Major League Soccer suspends season due to coronavirus]