Between March 18 and April 7, one of the biggest events in sports returned, capturing the attention of millions. Fans across the country filled out 34 million brackets, each hoping to predict the winner of all 64 games. As the drama unfolded on the court, $3.1 billion was wagered on young athletes between the ages of 18 and 26 turning college competition into a national obsession. 

After a grueling journey through the toughest competition in college basketball, marked by fouls, overtimes, injuries and unforgettable game-winners, the University of Connecticut Huskies and the University of Florida Gators emerged as national champions, standing alone at the top when the madness finally settled.

For the women, the Huskies were unstoppable. They tore through the tournament with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points per game, capping off their run with a commanding 82-59 win over the reigning 2024 champions, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, in the title game. The final was the third most-watched women’s March Madness title game ever, drawing an impressive 8.5 million viewers.

At the final buzzer, UConn guard Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, capped her career with a national championship, becoming UConn’s all-time leading scorer in NCAA tournament history and surpassing Maya Moore on the all-time list.

Bueckers entered UConn in 2020 alongside future stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese with high expectations. Her path, however, was far from smooth. Her first year ended in a Final Four loss, and she faced setbacks in her second and third years, including a knee injury and an ACL tear that kept her out of the 2022-2023 season. In 2023-2024, she returned to lead UConn back to the Final Four, but they fell to the University of Iowa and the unstoppable Clark.

In her fifth and final season, Bueckers led UConn to a commanding victory over the University of California, Los Angeles in the Final Four, then helped the Huskies defeat South Carolina by 23 points in the championship. Alongside senior Azzi Fudd and standout first-year Sarah Strong, the trio put on a dominant performance. UConn’s 23-point win marked a perfect ending to one of the most remarkable careers in college basketball history.

UConn’s historic tournament run and Bueckers’ story were unforgettable, but the women’s field also showcased incredible talent. Six-foot-seven-inch Lauren Betts led UCLA to the Final Four, forcing UConn to adjust their game to limit her impact. Despite their efforts, Lauren Betts scored 26 points in the semifinals. She will return to UCLA next season, joining her sister, 6-foot-4-inch McDonald’s All-American Sienna Betts, who committed to UCLA in 2023.

Bronze medalist Hailey Van Lith, who transferred from Louisiana State University to Texas Christian University for her fifth year, led the Horned Frogs to their first Elite Eight. TCU was the final stop in her career after her time at the University of Louisville and LSU. Van Lith was the eleventh overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and will be playing for the Chicago Sky alongside former LSU teammate Reese.

The tournament also saw University of Southern California star JuJu Watkins tear her ACL early in the second round against Mississippi State University. Despite the setback, her team rallied, defeating MSU and reaching the Elite Eight. Watkins garnered significant support from players and coaches throughout the tournament, and is anticipated to make a strong comeback in the future.

The 2025 women’s tournament will be remembered as one of the greatest ever played, featuring players destined to be considered some of the best to ever grace the game. This tournament also marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time women’s teams were compensated for their participation, a long-overdue change that had been a reality for the men’s teams for decades.

The men’s tournament lived up to its high expectations, featuring some unforgettable moments, including the University of Houston’s impressive comeback against heavily favored Duke University in the Final Four. With the rise in popularity of 18-year old Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg, 25% of brackets, roughly 8.5 million people, predicted Duke to win the tournament. However, the Cougars destroyed that dream and staged a remarkable 14-point rally with just eight minutes remaining in the game. Houston took their first lead of the game with just 20 seconds remaining, securing a 70-67 victory over the heavily favored Blue Devils.

Despite being a No. 1 seed, Houston was largely undervalued compared to other No. 1 seeds—Duke, Florida and Auburn University—with only 8.9% of brackets picking the Cougars to win it all, and making their tournament run one to remember. Their national championship appearance marked the first for Houston since 1984, and their thrilling comeback against Duke became one of the most memorable moments in the tournament.

On April 7, all eyes were on Houston and Florida as they squared off in the national championship. Florida had impressed throughout the tournament, with thrilling wins and a remarkable 34-point performance by Walter Clayton Jr. in the Final Four. Despite Houston leading for most of the title game and Florida trailing by 12 points, the Gators mounted a fierce comeback. In a final push, Houston raced down the court with 19.7 seconds remaining, but came up short. By the final buzzer, Florida had secured a 65-63 victory, capturing their first title since 2007 and cementing their legacy in March Madness history.

The men’s tournament is famous for its upsets, with an average of 8.5 each year—an upset being defined as a team beating one at least five seeds higher. In 2023, No. 1 seed Purdue University was shockingly eliminated by No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson University in the first round, proving once again that anything can happen in March. Since the tournament began seeding teams in 1979, the Final Four has featured all four No. 1 seeds only twice: in 2025 and 2008, making it a historic moment for the event.

The 2025 March Madness tournaments showcased the ever-growing talent in collegiate basketball. Thirty-eight women’s collegiate players were drafted into the WNBA on April 14, not including top talents like Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles and Fudd, who have chosen to stay in college. The men’s draft will not take place until June 25, and is trickier to predict as, unlike the women who must be either 22 or have completed college for domestic players, men’s players can be drafted to the NBA in college if they are 19 and have either completed four years of college eligibility or one year removed from high school. Still, future stars like Flagg, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Gonzaga University’s Ryan Nembhard inspire excitement for the men’s game. On the women’s side, players like LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, Watkins and Strong are set to make the next tournaments just as thrilling. The future of collegiate basketball is bright, with immense potential to grow year after year.