WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The Registration Process
Each participant must complete the registration process to become eligible to play. The registration is a simple process that involves filling out your contact information, team name creation, and password selection. Once you create a member ID (your email address), choose a password, and select your team name, you will then be given the opportunity to start making your bracket selections.
Tournament Information
The Men's College Basketball Tournament starts runs March 21st at Noon ET and runs through the Championship game ending April 8th 2019 at Midnight ET. The Sunday prior to the start of the Men's College Basketball Tournament is called "Selection Sunday". Selection Sunday occurs March 17th 2019. On Selection Sunday, Selection Committee will announce the bracket pairings for the first round games. There will be several "play-in" games prior to the start of the tournament. Winners of these games qualify for the final four spots in the Men's College Basketball Tournament. However, for this contest, the winner of each "play-in" game will be named the "Play-in Winner", so it is no necessary to guess the winner of any "play-in" game.
Shortly after the bracket pairings are announced on March 17th 2019, the complete bracket pairings will be available for all players. At this time, each player will be allowed to login and make their selections for their chance to win the contest. The deadline to make selections is March 21st 2019 at Noon ET. All picks must be successfully saved by or before this deadline.
Making Your Selections
Players can make their selections by clicking on the icon located at the top left of the home page or by selecting "Make Picks" on the navigation bar. This will lead you to a page displaying the bracket for the contest. From this screen, players will make their selections. To make your team selections, simply click the team name to advance them to the next round. If you make a mistake, you can select the opposite team in the previous round or you can also choose the "clear picks" button and start over again. It's that easy. After you have completed the bracket, you must click the "Submit" button to confirm and store your bracket. Once you click the "Submit" button, your picks will display as stored.
Selecting Teams Close To The Deadline
Any player attempting to make team selections close to the deadline risks the chance of not getting in his/her changes on time. We are not responsible for late entries, server congestion, faulty Internet connections, etc., which may cause the changes to your picks to not be made.
Winning the Game
Each Local Media Partner determines the local winners. Please check your local rules to see if there are any additional rules from your Media Partner that will supersede these rules.
Players are ranked according to their cumulative point score. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. The player with the highest number of cumulative points at the end of the season wins the grand prize. 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:
Tiebreaker #1 - Closest To Total Points Scored In Final Game (Based On Absolute Value)
Tiebreaker #2 - Most Correct Picks For All Rounds
Tiebreaker #3 - Highest Risk Bracket
Tiebreaker #4 - Random Drawing
Tiebreaker #3 calculation: Each bracket is evaluated using the exclusive risk assessor, which computes the risk of each chosen upset versus historical tournament results. The bracket that is deemed riskiest by this methodology wins this tiebreaker.
Any further ties are left as ties in the standings. The tie-breaking system below represents the default tiebreaking system. Each media partner can choose their own scoring and tie-breaking system. If they select their own tie-breaking system and/or scoring it will be added into the rules and clearly stated. 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 also. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins that particular round. 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:
Tiebreaker #1 - Most Correct Picks In That Round
Tiebreaker #2 - Highest Risk Bracket
Tiebreaker #3 - Random drawing
Tiebreaker #2 calculation: Each bracket is evaluated using the exclusive risk assessor, which computes the risk of each chosen upset versus historical tournament results. The bracket that is deemed riskiest by this methodology wins this tiebreaker.
In all cases, an entry that does not win a tiebreaker is eliminated from consideration. Please check your local rules to see if the Media Partner’s rules vary from these rules.
Contest Scoring
The Bracket Challenge is scored (by default) using the scoring chart below. Each media partner can choose their own scoring and tie-breaking system. If they select their own scoring it will be added into the rules and clearly stated.
Players are ranked on the Standings page. The winner of the Bracket Challenge for each media partner is determined by the highest point total after the completion of the final game of the tournament.
Prizing Information
Any Participant(s) who select(s) a valid perfect bracket (the correct selection of all 63 matchups) prior to the start of tournament (start date varies each year), will receive $10,000. Payment will be in two equal dispersements of $5,000 US Dollars by Certified Check. The first payment will be within 60 days of receiving valid user ID forms (detailed in the winner information section below). The second payment will be dispersed 6 months from the first payment. Multiple users with valid perfect brackets (within any Media Partner contest) will split the prize.
Scoring Disputes
The contest operator will post the scores shortly after every day’s games for each round, unless unforeseen complications arise. If you have a scoring dispute, please click on the support link in the navigation bar, and submit a request 24 hours prior to start of each round. Any disputes arriving after this time will not be addressed. All scores are final following the start of the next round. The contest operator reserves the right to deny any scoring inaccuracies at any time due to circumstances beyond our control. See our Terms & Conditions page. It is each player's responsibility to confirm their own selections. Players should verify their selections on the "My Picks" page located on the blue navigation bar at the top of the home page.
Special Reserved Rights
Any player caught or suspected of system tampering, game interference or breaking our terms and conditions, may be removed without refund from our contest at any time and without notice. We also reserve the right to pursue legal and criminal action upon those member(s).
Winning Strategy
There is a great deal of strategy that goes into the bracket challenge game. Some players wish to select their favorite teams. Some players will want to pick the highest ranked teams to meet in the finals. There are many different strategies that have won. College Hoops is a great sport, so whatever your strategy, remember to have fun and enjoy the game.
Eligibility
Please see the "Prize" area inside the contest for prize information and winner terms and conditions set by your media partner.
General Conditions
Please see the "Prize" area inside the contest for prize information and winner terms and conditions set by your media partner.
Rules/Winners Information
Please see the "Prize" area inside the contest for prize information and winner terms and conditions set by your media partner.
Notification
Please see the "Prize" area inside the contest for prize information and winner terms and conditions set by your media partner.
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 game operator, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this contest, the game operator 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 event, the game operator further reserves the right to award prizes to the player with the most points as of the termination date.
Technology Problems
The game operator 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 game operator is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail 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 web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the game is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, the game operator 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 Internet will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.
In the event that any legal or regulatory authority challenges the contest, the game operator. reserves the right to discontinue or modify the Contest, or to disqualify participants residing in the affected geographic areas. The game operator shall have no liability to any players who are disqualified due to such an action.
Email Change Of Address Policy
It is the sole responsibility of the Entrant to notify the Sponsor in the event of his or her email address changing. To do so, click on the "Account" sub section under the "main" navigation. Failure to maintain a valid email address may result in that user’s disqualification and the forfeiture of any prizes won in conjunction of this contest.
False Registration
The game operator reserves the right to disqualify any user who has registered with non valid or false information. To qualify for any prize, users must have valid registration information by the contest ending date. Any information that is inaccurate or misleading will result in that user’s disqualification and the forfeiture of any prizes won in conjunction of this contest.
Disclaimer
The contest operator and this Web site, are in no way connected with, affiliated with or endorsed by the NCAA, or any of its affiliated teams, players, or players union. All references to any basketball name or term is purely nominative and not intended to imply any connection, affiliation, or endorsement.
