I was able to find an article on the subject.
Enjoy!
Every year right around this time, a fever spreads across America, like one spreads peanut butter on bread; thick, covering the bread up to each rounded corner. Yes, "March Madness" is here and it's running through most basketball fans veins'. Even the most soft spoken and mild mannered folks find themselves, up to their eyes and consumed with the fever. And it's more than NCAA men's and women's hoops, it also traverses to the land of high school basketball.
"March Madness" was born in Illinois. The annual tournament of high school boys basketball teams, sponsored by the Illinois High School Association, grew from a small invitational affair in 1908 to a statewide institution with over 900 schools competing by the late 1930's. A field of teams known as the "Sweet Sixteen" routinely drew sellout crowds. In a time before TV, before the college game became popular with the average fan, before professional leagues were born, this basketball fever already reached epidemic proportions in the Land of Lincoln.
Henry V. Porter, assistant executive secretary of the Illinois High School Association, was so impressed by the fever he wrote an essay to commemorate it. You guessed it, Porter titled it, "March Madness". It first appeared in the Illinois Interscholastic, the IHSA's magazine, in 1939. The term struck a chord with newspapermen, who used it throughout their pages. During the tournament's "Golden Era" of the 1940's and 1950's, "March Madness" became the popular name of the event..
"March Madness" grew. Beginning in 1973, the IHSA began using the term officially in its programs and on its merchandise. In 1977, the organization enlisted veteran Chicago sportswriter and Big Ten basketball referee Jim Enright to write the official history of the boys basketball tournament. The result was March Madness: The story of High School Basketball in Illinois. As media technology advanced, the IHSA and KOST Broadcast Sales of Chicago produced March Madness: The Official Video History of the ISHA Basketball Tournament in 1989. Both the book and video were sold nationwide. During this period, the Illinois High School Association received trademark status for the term "March Madness" and registered the trademark "America's Original March Madness." The spirit of March Madness has spread like a wildfire from coast to coast, as other companies and organizations, including state high school associations and manufacturers, have been licensed by the IHSA to use these trademarks. A significant portion of the fees generated from the terms "March Madness" and "America's Original March Madness" are used to fund college scholarships for Illinois high school boys and girls.
And here you probably just thought, some Joe Schmo, some dude standing by the water cooler coined the phrase "March Madness". NOPE!! The history of the term is deep and rich, much like the tournament itself.
Speaking of deep, this years field of 65 is just that; DEEP. Kentucky is the top dog in the Midwest, and should cruise to the Final Four. The West is led by top seeded Arizona, but this is the toughest bracket with 8 of the 16 teams being conference champions. I think it's Zona's to lose.
The South is headed up by Texas with Florida earning a surprising two seed. Merry Christmas Billy Donovan. I see Xavier making the Final Four here. Oklahoma is number one in the East and is my pick to advance to the Final Four. Kentucky and Oklahoma will advance to the finals, with the Wildcats winning another title. They are the money team...how can one go against them. But, watch out for Kansas, Xavier, Central Michigan, Pitt, Maryland and Louisville to make some serious noise, with any of these teams, minus CMU and Louisville possibly pulling off a stunner in the finals.
Yes, the Madness is here. It's the time of year everybody thinks they know something about college hoops. Suddenly we are all experts...but that makes it fun. Good luck and I hope you win that office pool. I'll lose mine as usual to some person who picks by colors or the cuter mascots. I hate lucky people. Yes, I'm a bad loser.
Have fun and may "March Madness" be with you.
