Times staff
Sunday, March 13, 2011
New format alters your bracket
Your NCAA tourney bracket is bigger this year, so be sure to check on your deadline.
The field was expanded to 68 teams. The four-game first round is Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
So does that mean you have to finish filling out your bracket by Tuesday? That depends on who's running your pool. The NCAA and Turner Sports, which are broadcasting many tourney games, are promoting today as National Bracket Day.
But websites that host some of the most popular bracket contests — including ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports — are bypassing the first round and keeping a deadline of Thursday before second-round games tip off with 64 teams remaining in the field.
"Typically, we see big spikes in entries right before opening tipoff, and by waiting until Thursday would give more fans the time to join and organize their groups," ESPN.com's Kristie Chong wrote in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times.
"The ESPN Fantasy team will be listening closely to fan feedback and, if there's enough support, will expand the game next season."