ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
College basketball had regional champions but no true national postseason; the NCAA organized an eight-team tournament to crown a single men's champion alongside the NIT.
What happened
The first NCAA men's basketball tournament was held in 1939 in Evanston, Illinois; Oregon defeated Ohio State 46-33 in the final to win the inaugural title.
Why it still matters
What began as a tiny bracket grew into "March Madness," a cultural phenomenon that rivals the Super Bowl for office-pool obsession. Memorable detail: the 1939 championship game drew fewer fans than some modern first-round games.
Background
Oregon won the inaugural championship.