The more the merrier I always say!  This massive expansion of the NCAA's most highly anticipated event means March Madness through June!  Though this allows some of the teams flying under the a radar a fair shot at the big dance, but how much is too much (if there's such thing)!?

2009: 71ST ANNUAL DIVISION I MENS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Opening Round: Tuesday, March 17, 2009

UD Arena: Hotels Nearby

Dayton, Ohio
Host: University of Dayton
Ticket information available in late 2008

First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009

Greensboro Coliseum: Hotels Nearby

Greensboro, North Carolina
Host: Atlantic Coast Conference
Phone: 336/412-6222
E-mail: ncaa.tournament@greensboro-nc.gov

Sprint Center: Hotels Nearby

Kansas City, Missouri
Host: Big 12 Conference
SOLD OUT
Phone: 816/949-7000
E-mail: tickets@big12sports.com

Wachovia Center: Hotels Nearby

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Host: Saint Joseph's University
SOLD OUT
Phone: 215/336-3600 (information)
Phone: 215/389-9571 (accessible seating)

Rose Garden: Hotels Nearby

Portland, Oregon
Host: University of Oregon
SOLD OUT
Phone: 503/797-9904
E-mail: portlandhoops09@rosequarter.com

First and Second Rounds: Friday and Sunday, March 20 and 22, 2009

Taco Bell Arena: Hotels Nearby

Boise, Idaho
Host: Boise State University
SOLD OUT
Phone: 208/426-4737
E-mail: tickets@boisestate.edu

UD Arena: Hotels Nearby

Dayton, Ohio
Host: University of Dayton
SOLD OUT
Phone: 937/229-4433
E-mail: flyertickets@notes.udayton.edu

American Airlines Arena: Hotels Nearby

Miami, Florida
Host: Florida International University
Phone: 786/777-1000 E-mail: ncaamiami@heat.com

HHH Metrodome: Hotels Nearby

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Host: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Phone: 612/624-8080
E-mail: go4tix@umn.edu

Regionals: Thursday and Saturday, March 26 and 28, 2009

East Regional

TD Banknorth Garden: Hotels Nearby

Boston, Massachusetts
Host: Boston College
SOLD OUT
Phone: 617/552-4622
E-mail: athtick@bc.edu

West Regional

University of Phoenix Stadium: Hotels Nearby

Glendale, Arizona
Host: Arizona State University
Phone: 480/727-0000
E-mail: sundeviltickets@asu.edu

Regionals: Friday and Sunday, March 27 and 29, 2009

Midwest Regional

Lucas Oil Stadium: Hotels Nearby

Indianapolis, Indiana
Host: Butler University/Horizon League
Phone: 317/262-3389
E-mail: ticketoffice@iccrd.com

South Regional

FedExForum: Hotels Nearby

Memphis, Tennessee
Host: University of Memphis
SOLD OUT
Phone: 901/205-2640
E-mail: tigertickets@memphis.edu

Final Four: Saturday and Monday, April 4 and 6, 2009

Ford Field: Hotels Nearby

Detroit, Michigan
Host: University of Detroit-Mercy

March Madness consistently brings out the gambler deep inside of all of us  and the office and buddy pools reach an all time high.  But if you're new to the experience here are a couple of tips and how to's to make sure your pool is the best (and most fair) out there.

There are really two main styles to the March Madness Pool

The classic March Madness pick style is the standard 64 team bracket with 63 games, which means 63 chances to bring home the bacon or fail miserably in a puddle of March Madness shame and disappointment.  The catch to this style is...All 63 picks must be made before the game 1 tip-off of March Madness.  So make your picks and forever hold your peace.  This style is widely used but doesn't allow too much room for error and is better designed for the veterans and hardcore fans.

The second style is the progressive "Daily Pick'em" style that allows you to pick each game before its respective tip-off.  This means that if you chose the University of Oregon to lose in the the first round and they win, you can still pick U of O in the second round.  This is a nice way to play if you are going to be on top of every game and want a few more chances to hedge your scores.

The Scoring!

There are several different scoring methodologies that can be used and people will be arguing the best ones until the end of time.  But here are some quality methods that work well and are relative standards.

Standard round scoring:

Round 1 picks: 1

Round 2 picks: 2

Round 3 picks: 4

Round 4 picks: 8

Round 5 picks: 16

Round 6 picks: 32

This method of scoring is a pretty traditional stand-by but you'll notice its a little heavy on the final four rounds and also doesn't take into consideration any type of seeding.  For example, if you took a risk and picked a low seed team to go all the way and they do, you should be rewarded for taking the risk.  To compensate for the late round point mongering you can change the scoring to 2-3-5-8-13-21.  If you want to reward people for braving the odds and going with the underdog then you can add an additional point stipulation: Round # x Seed #

Happy Pooling