March Madness 2020: Dixie Bracket challenge offers free chance to win $100,000

March 10, 2020 Utah Channel 3

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — With just over one week until “Selection Sunday,” people all around Southern Utah are starting to feel the excitement of March Madness, ready to put their knowledge of college basketball to the test by picking this year’s unbustable bracket.

While the chances of picking a perfect bracket are virtually impossible – 1 in 9.2 trillion – nearly 32 million Americans will put their wits to the test to see if they can choose this year’s NCAA champion.

On March 15, the full field of 68 teams for the 2020 tournament will be announced, but before you sit down with your family and friends and start filling out brackets, why not play for a chance at winning some cool prizes and a shot at $100,000?

Local State Farm insurance agent Brandon Hunt is sponsoring the “March Craziness $100,000 Bracket Challenge.” Hunt told St. George News that bringing people together for March Madness is always a lot of fun, and they wanted to create the Dixie Bracket challenge so they could do it every year as a way to unite people and “just have a fun time together as a community.”

“It’s kind of a longevity thing,” Hunt said. “It’s a contest that everybody can be a part of.”

The challenge is completely free, and besides the $100,000 potential grand prize, there will be several other random prizes given out throughout the tournament that have yet to be determined. Challenge your friends at the office, Hunt said, and “let us provide some of the prizes.”

According to the NCAA website, filling out a bracket can be a tricky endeavor, and they suggest seven tips to give everyone the best chance of winning:

Work backwards — Start at the end and then pick the opening round.
Don’t pick a 16 seed to open.
Don’t pick all No. 1 seeds for the final four.
Pick between 10 and 16 upsets.
Don’t pick the best defense to win it all.
Don’t pick dogs over cats — Historically, dog mascots have a record of 37-36 in the tournament.
Just don’t pick a 16 seed, not ever!

Hunt joked that he’s always missing the mark and really doesn’t have the secret to the perfect picks, but he loves that everyone has an opportunity to be involved in the Dixie Bracket challenge.

Image from the 2020 Dixie Bracket challenge. Image courtesy of Brandon Hunt State Farm, St. George News

Because the likelihood of winning is almost impossible and there are so many online challenges, Hunt said they have structured things a little bit differently: If someone makes the “perfect pick,” they will be awarded $100,000; however, the top 100 scores will also receive a scratch-off ticket with a chance to win the $100,000. If there are multiple winners, the prize will be split.

“There’s no rhyme or reason for anybody winning. You can have the most fanatic sports fan out there who thinks he knows anything, and he can come in last place,” Hunt said, “and the person that never watches sports ever in their life can come in first place.”

Once the announcements come out on March 15, people can start filling out their brackets online, and each week they will be scored and updated. At the end of the tournament, winners will be notified and receive their tickets.

“Everybody has a chance to win just because everything is so random,” he said. “The madness is totally crazy.”

Participants must be 18 years or older to play. In the case of multiple winning brackets or other winners of the $100,000 prize, all winners will split the prize evenly.

Registration can be done online here.

Written by ANDREW PINCKNEY, St. George News.

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