Schedule/Scoring
The tournament schedule and scoring system are indicated below. The deadline for making picks for each of the four brackets and the final rounds is 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, March 20, 2008.
| Round | Dates | Teams | Games | Base Points (per correct pick) |
Underdog Bonus Points (if the Underdog wins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Mar. 20-21 | 64 | 32 | 5 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 1 |
| Second Round | Mar. 22-23 | 32 | 16 | 10 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 2 |
| Regional Semifinals | Mar. 27-28 | 16 | 8 | 20 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 3 |
| Regional Finals | March 29-30 | 8 | 4 | 40 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 4 |
| National Semifinals | April 5 | 4 | 2 | 80 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 5 |
| National Championship | April 7 | 2 | 1 | 100 | (Higher Seed - Lower Seed) x 6 |
| Totals | -- | -- | 63 | -- | -- |
Scoring Explanation and Examples
If the favorite wins, you simply get the number of Base Points specified for a victory in that round. If the underdog wins, you get the Base Points plus the Underdog Bonus Points as calculated according to the formula above.
For example, using a No. 12 seed playing a No. 5 seed, here are the total points that would be awarded in each round:
| Round | Points awarded if Favorite Wins |
Points awarded if Underdog Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1: First Round | 5 | 5 + ( (12-5) x 1 ) = 12 |
| 2: Second Round | 10 | 10 + ( (12-5) x 2 ) = 24 |
| 3: Regional Semifinals | 20 | 20 + ( (12-5) x 3 ) = 41 |
| 4: Regional Finals | 40 | 40 + ( (12-5) x 4 ) = 68 |
| 5: National Semifinals | 80 | 80 + ( (12-5) x 5 ) = 115 |
| 6: National Championship | 100 | 100 + ( (12-5) x 6 ) = 142 |
Note: On the Enter/Change Picks page, the seed number is indicated in brackets next to the team's name. The seed for each team is carried throughout the tournament. When the tournament reaches the final four, it is possible to have a matchup where there is no favourite (such as if two No. 1 seeds meet in the National Semifinals).