SELECTION SUNDAY... THE BIG DANCE... CINDERELLA TEAM... THE PHRASES ARE ALL TIED TO MARCH MADNESS - THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THAT DETERMINES A NATIONAL CHAMPION DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH.
AND FOR THIS WEEK'S KNOW OHIO, WE SUIT UP AND TAKE THE COURT ....AS WE LOOK AT OHIO'S ROLE IN THE MADNESS.
SIXTY EIGHT COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPETE FOR A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.. AND TO PROVIDE SOME PRETTY GREAT ENTERTAINMENT FOR FANS OF THE SCHOOLS INVOLVED.
BUT YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW THAT OHIO PLAYED A REALLY BIG ROLE IN WHAT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ENJOYABLE EVENTS FOR SPORTS FANS.
IN FACT, OHIO STATE PLAYED OREGON IN THE 'FIRST-EVER' NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ....ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1939.
HAROLD OLSEN, OHIO STATE'S COACH DURING THAT TIME, IS ACTUALLY CREDITED WITH SPEARHEADING THE IDEA OF A TOURNAMENT THE YEAR BEFORE.
WHAT STARTED AS EIGHT TEAMS HAS GROWN IN SIZE AND POPULARITY SINCE THEN... AS FANS FILL OUT BRACKETS AND TEAMS TRAVEL TO DIFFERENT CITIES AND REGIONS FOR TOURNAMENT MATCHUPS.
THIS YEAR, OHIO IS ONCE AGAIN WELL REPRESENTED IN THE BIG DANCE... WITH 'FOUR' MEN'S TEAMS AND 'THREE' TEAMS IN THE WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT.
ON THE MEN'S SIDE, WE HAVE OHIO STATE, XAVIER, THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, AND DAYTON.. AND ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE - OHIO UNIVERSITY, OHIO STATE, AND DAYTON.
DAYTON, COLUMBUS AND CLEVELAND WILL ALL HOST GAMES DURING THE 2015 MEN'S TOURNAMENT.
SO IF YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR ONE OF THOSE CITIES, YOU MIGHT SEE LOTS OF 'MADNESS' OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS....