8 Reasons Why March is the Most Exciting Month in Sports

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Consisting of championships, season openers, and playoff pushes, March is unrivaled as the most exciting month of the year for any sports connoisseur.

Here are the eight reasons why:

  • NCAA March Madness – Men’s and Women’s

The most obvious event on the list even has the month in its name. Cinderella stories, busted brackets, and buzzer-beaters bring in non-sports and sports fans alike in perhaps the most exciting event on the list. This year’s tournament will go down in history for obvious reasons and it’s not even half-way over. Will we see another upset in the Women’s tournament that rivaled last year’s Mississippi State-UConn game?

  • NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

Listen to Iowa and Oklahoma State argue about who has the best program while Penn State has dominated the 2010s. This is one of the best tournaments to watch to get a head’s up on who will be representing the U.S. in the Olympics in the coming years.

  • MLB Opening Day – March 29th

This is actually pretty huge. For the first time since 1968, every MLB team will begin play on the same day. There are plenty of storylines to follow this season: Will the Astros be able to defend their title? How will Aaron Boone handle his first season as the Yankee’s manager? Will Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani pan out for the Angels after flat showings in spring training? Should be an exciting season.

  • MLS Opening Day – March 3rd

The MLS has steadily grown in popularity despite the U.S. Men’s National Team failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. With the addition of Los Angeles F.C. this year, the league has 23 teams, an all-time high. LAFC signed a regional broadcast deal with sponsor YouTube TV. This marks the first time a pro sports team has sold their regional broadcast rights to an online streaming service.

  • NBA/NHL Playoff Push

For both leagues, this point of the season often sees the best games. Teams at the top of their divisions vie for a first-round bye in the playoffs, while second-tier teams try to simply secure a spot. The tension in the games serve as a tasty appetizer to the drama of the playoffs.

  • NA LCS Playoffs

As the premier e-sport in North America, League of Legends occupies the majority of viewership on Twitch.tv every Saturday and Sunday. The North American League Championship Series Spring Playoffs has a different tone this year after the decision to opt into a franchise model of competition. Gone are the relegation series of seasons past. Riot Games hopes to garner the respect of traditional professional sports fans by keeping the same teams every year.

  • Spring Basho

Sumo is more of a hipster sport in the U.S., but it’s not without its athletic merit or fair share of drama. Record-setting Yokozuna Hakuho has yet to compete in a Basho since the November scandal that involved the top Mongolian competitors in the sport. The January champion, Tochinoshin, a Georgian-born rikishi, is not holding up to his form from earlier this year due to a nagging knee injury. So, Yokozuna Kakuryu is mopping the dohyo with any rikishi unlucky enough to draw him and currently undefeated.

  • NFL Draft Combine

The most popular U.S. sport is the most obvious one missing. Football gives the general populace a much-needed break during the month of March. The only football-related event comes in the form of the NFL Scouting Combine a.k.a. the Millionaire’s Meat Market. You don’t need football to be a thrilling month, though. In fact, it appears to make it more exciting as the other sports seem to ratchet up the drama as they compete for our interest; I know I’ve been juggling streaming platforms this entire month.