Bracket Challenge Rules

The Registration Process

Each participant must complete the registration process to become eligible to play. Registration is a simple process that involves filling out your contact information, creating your team name, and selecting a password. Once you create an account (your email address), choose a password, and select your team name, you will be allowed to start making your bracket selections.

Each participant may have only one account and create only one bracket. Creation of multiple accounts or multiple brackets during the contest year will result in the disqualification of all submitted brackets.

Tournament Information

The Men's College Basketball Tournament runs March 19, 2026 at 11:00 CT and runs through the Championship game ending April 06, 2026, at Midnight CT. The Sunday before the Men's College Basketball Tournament starts is called "Selection Sunday." Selection Sunday occurs on March 15, 2026. On Selection Sunday, the Selection Committee will announce the bracket pairings for the first-round games. "The 'First Four' (play-in) games are not scored. For the Contest, the team that advances from the play-in game into the field of 64 will be treated as the 'Play-in Winner' in the Round 1 bracket."  You can update your bracket after these games have been played and before the brackets are locked (when the first game of round 1 starts). Or your bracket will be auto-updated with the winning teams.

Shortly after the bracket pairings are announced on March 15, 2026, the complete bracket pairings will be available for all players. At that time, each player will be allowed to log in and make their selections to enter the Contest. The deadline to make selections is March 19, 2026, at the tip-off of the first scheduled game. All picks must be successfully saved by or before this deadline.

Making Your Selections

Players can make their selections by going to the Listener Portal. From this screen, players will make their selections. To make your team selections, click the team name to advance them to the next round. You can select the opposite team in the previous round if you make a mistake. After you have completed the bracket, click the save button to confirm and save your bracket. Once you click the save button, your picks will display as saved.

Selecting Teams Close To The Deadline

Any player attempting to make team selections close to the deadline risks not getting their changes in on time. We are not responsible for late entries, server congestion, faulty Internet connections, or similar issues that may prevent changes to your picks.

Winning the Game

Players are ranked by their cumulative points. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the cumulative points winner. There may or may not be a prize for the cumulative points winner. Please visit the Prize section to see what prizes (if any) are awarded for this Contest. In the event of a tie between two or more entries, the winning entry will be determined by the following tiebreakers in order of listing:

1. Closest To Total Points Scored In Final Game (Based On Absolute Value)
2. If two players have the same value for Tiebreaker #1, the advantage goes to those who over-predicted (predicted more points)
3. Most Correct Picks For All Rounds
4. Most Correct Picks In Round 1
5. Most Correct Picks In Round 2
6. Most Correct Picks In Round 3
7. Most Correct Picks In Round 4
8. Most Correct Picks In Round 5
9. Most Correct Picks In Round 6
10. Random Drawing

Tiebreaker #1 calculation: If in the final game, there are 100 points scored, and you predicted 88 total points, this tiebreaker's value will be 12. If you predicted 113, your tiebreaker would be 13. This value is determined by how many points you are under or over the total official points scored in the final game.

Tiebreaker #2 calculation: If, in the final game, 100 points are scored, you predicted 88 total points, and someone else you are tied with predicted 112 total points, the advantage goes to the other user because they over-predicted.

Any further ties are left as ties in the standings. The tie-breaking system below is the only one. In all cases, an entry that does not win a tiebreaker is eliminated from consideration.

Round Tiebreakers

Players are ranked according to their cumulative round score. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins. In the event of a tie between two (2) or more entries, the winning entry will be determined by the following tiebreakers in order of listing:

1. Most Correct Picks For All Rounds
2. Most Correct Picks In Each Previous Round, individually, starting with Round 1
3. The bracket having the highest risk percentage
4. Random drawing

Tiebreaker #2 calculation: If we are in round 3, we will look at how many correct picks there were in Round 1. If there is still a tie, we will look at how many correct picks were in Round 2. If there is still a tie, we will look at how many correct picks were in round 3.

Tiebreaker #3 Random Selection: The winner will be selected by random selection.

In all cases, an entry that does not win a tiebreaker is eliminated from consideration.

Contest Scoring

The Bracket Challenge is scored using the scoring chart below.

Players are ranked on the standings page. The highest point total determines the winner of the Bracket Challenge after the completion of the final game of the tournament.

Perfect Bracket Giveaway

The first 500 entries successfully saved in the system are eligible for a chance to win the Perfect Bracket Giveaway.

• Requirements: To qualify for this prize, a participant must correctly predict the winner of every single game in the tournament (a "Perfect Bracket"). This includes all games from Round 1 through the Championship Game (the field of 64).

• Play-in Games: Consistent with our scoring rules, the "First Four" play-in games are not counted toward the Perfect Bracket requirement.

• Tiebreakers: Because the Perfect Bracket is a binary win (the bracket is either 100% correct or it is not), the Final Score Tiebreaker does not apply to this specific giveaway. In the extremely unlikely event that two or more eligible participants (within the first 500 entries) submit identical perfect brackets, the winner will be determined by random drawing.

Prize Information

Please see the "Prizes" area inside the contest details for prize information.

Scoring Disputes

The station will post the scores shortly after every day's games for each round unless unforeseen complications arise. If you have a scoring dispute, please get in touch with us using the menu. Disputes are accepted until 24 hours after the tournament officially ends. Any disputes arising after this time will not be addressed. The station reserves the right to deny any scoring inaccuracies at any time due to circumstances beyond our control. It is each player's responsibility to confirm their own selections. Players should verify their selections on the brackets page.

Special Reserved Rights

Any player caught or suspected of system tampering, game interference, or breaking our terms and conditions may be removed without a refund or further compensation from our Contest at any time and without notice. We also reserve the right to pursue legal and criminal action against those member(s).

Eligibility

• The winner must live within the station's terrestrial coverage area. The area includes the following:
• Prize winners must be at least 19 years.
• 2Day FM 103-1 has the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. Winners do not have the right to substitute prizes.
• Prizes must be claimed by winners and are not transferable.
• Winners are solely responsible for any taxes, duties, or other costs that may be associated with the winning of a prize.
• 2Day FM 103-1 may require winners to sign a release form in order to receive the prize. In such a case, the winner will not be entitled to receive the prize unless they sign the release.
• Employees, their families, affiliated businesses, sponsors, other radio stations, and media outlets are not eligible to win contests.
• Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of notification that they have won.
• No purchase is necessary to win.
• Employees of 2Day FM 103-1 and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in any contests or promotions sponsored by 2Day FM 103-1.
• Contests and promotions are subject to all federal, state, and local laws.
• The interpretation of these and all other rules relating to contests or promotions sponsored by 2Day FM 103-1 is reserved exclusively to GI Family Radio. Its decision shall be final.

Internet Problems

If, for any reason, the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, terrorism, work stoppage, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the station, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the station reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. In such an event, the station further reserves the right to award prizes to the player with the most points as of the termination date.

Technology Problems

The station assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction, or unauthorized access to or alteration of entries or transactions. The station is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, online computer systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email entry or transaction to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this Contest.

Caution: any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the game is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the station reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by law.

In the event of a dispute, entries made by the Internet will be declared by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

In the event that any legal or regulatory authority challenges the Contest, the station reserves the right to discontinue or modify the Contest or to disqualify participants residing in the affected geographic areas. The station shall have no liability to any disqualified players due to such an action.

Email Change Of Address Policy

It is the sole responsibility of the Entrant to ensure their email address is up to date. Failure to maintain a valid email address may result in the user's disqualification and the forfeiture of any prizes won in conjunction with this Contest.

False Registration

The station reserves the right to disqualify any registered user with invalid or false information. Users must have valid registration information by the Contest ending date to qualify for any prize. Any inaccurate or misleading information will result in that user's disqualification and the forfeiture of any prizes won in conjunction with this Contest.

Disclaimer

The station and this website are in no way connected with, affiliated with, or endorsed by the NCAA, or any of its affiliated teams, players, or players' unions. All references to any basketball name or term are purely nominative and not intended to imply any connection, affiliation, or endorsement.