When most of us talk about March Madness, we're talking about the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, that wonderful 64—sorry 68—team spectacle that gives us the yearly plethora of storylines: From Cinderella to disappointment, from the opening Thursday to Luther Vandross and ""One Shining Moment.""
But the true beauty of March isn't in the tourney itself, but rather in the 30 conference tournaments that precede it.
Now don't get me wrong, the NCAA Tournament is the single greatest sporting event on the calendar. While I know that Turner Sports will give us all the Charles Barkley, Kenny Anderson and Ernie Johnson necessary to challenge that belief, there is nothing, nor will there ever be, anything like the Big Dance.
That said, my favorite week of the year is this week, Conference Tournament Week. Starting with tomorrow's Atlantic Sun, Big South, and Ohio Valley Tournament Finals, the next week will see dreams come true for the members of 30 teams of diverse backgrounds—many of whom come into the tournament without any hope of a first-round win, making their tournament title the highlight of their year.
Conference tournament week is where Cinderella is born. While the likes of Butler, Gonzaga and St. Mary's might be able to get into the tournament through an at-large bid, most teams outside the power conferences have one week to make their dreams come true. One week can turn a disappointing regular season into an exhilarating post-season run (Florida A&M in 1999 and Oakland in 2005 just to name a few). But that same week can also cap off a great regular season with a disappointing defeat.
For members of conferences from the MAC to the MEAC to the MAAC, the first week of March is how their season will ultimately be judged. Sure, regular season champions are guaranteed a spot in the NIT, but the Big Dance is the prize everyone is looking for, from the Dukes and Kentuckys of the basketball world down to the Vermonts and Fairleigh Dickinsons.
Plus, by now I have seen enough of Villanova play Georgetown, and I am starting to get sick of UNC-Duke. Having a week of nonstop mid-major battles is both refreshing and exhilarating at the same time. It is unquestionably the only fitting prelude to the tourney itself.
So while next weekend's Big Ten, ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac 10 and SEC Tournaments may catch the attention of those of us in the BCS club, the real madness begins this week as wannabe Cinderellas battle it out on the court for the opportunity of a lifetime.
It is conference tournament week that makes college basketball the great sport it is; a sport that gives every school, big or small, the opportunity to compete for a national title. Without it, March Madness would be no better than the BCS.
Do you have all 30 of your conference tournament brackets ready to go? E-mail them to Max at max.sternberg@yahoo.com
