Every year at this time Americans everywhere are faced with the dilemma of filling out a bracket for the NCAA Men’s Tournament. And every year, individual Americans say this is their year and they are going to be the one in a billion bracket. Too many years fans have picked based on seeding, Las Vegas odds and/or uniform color combinations. This is the year to pick based on celebrity attendance– it’s the only way to truly pick a winning bracket.
2016 NCAA Tournament Bracket Picks Based on Notable Alumni:
We’ve got some big names making waves as we head into the first round of March Madness. Everyone is loving Larry David (Maryland) as Bernie Sanders on “Saturday Night Live;” Sylvester Stallone (Miami) stole our hearts after losing the Oscar; Tina Fey (UVA) is always having a good year and Olivia Munn (Oklahoma) is always a solid sleeper pick.
How picks worked:
- More points for being alive, active and notable.
- Actual degrees don’t count more.
- Athletes and politicians were only chosen if there were no other notable attendees or graduates.
- South Dakota: Who would ever bet against Tom Brokaw?
- Miami: Sylvester Stallone is staging a major comeback.
- Notre Dame: Just when you think Regis Philbin is no longer relevant, bam! He’s hosting “Today.”
- Pittsburgh: It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.
- Utah: Ted Bundy is the most famous graduate.
- Butler: Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
- Kansas: Everyone loves Paul Rudd.
- Miami: Rocky!
- Baylor: Willie Nelson is the GOAT.
- Texas: JKL.
- Kentucky: Ashley Judd can act and negotiate foreign policy.
- Notre Dame: Regis is everywhere.
- UVA: Tina Fey is actually America’s sweetheart.
- Michigan State: Just when you forgot about James Caan, you watched “The Godfather.”
NCAA Tournament Notable Alumni:
University of Kansas: Paul Rudd
Austin Peay: Bob Harper
Colorado: Jonah Hill
Maryland: Larry David
UCONN: Bobby Moynihan
South Dakota: Tom Brokaw
Cal (Berkley): Chris Pine
Hawaii: Beau Bridges
Arizona: Linda Ronstadt
Vanderbilt: Dierks Bentley
Wichita St.: Founders of Pizza Hut (Carney Brothers)
Miami: Sylvester Stallone
Buffalo: Terry Gross
Iowa: Ashton Kutcher
Temple: Bob Saget
Villanova: Jim Croce
UNC Asheville:
Oregon: Ty Burrell
Holy Cross: Chris Matthews
Saint Joseph’s:
Cincinnati: William Howard Taft
Baylor: Willie Nelson
Yale: Meryl Streep
Duke: Ken Jeong
UNC Wilmington: Skeet Ulrich
Texas: Matthew McConaughey
Northern Iowa: Kurt Warner
Texas A&M: Lyle Lovett
Green Bay: Tony Bennett (not that one)
Oregon St.: Meredith Phillips
VCU: Jay Pharoah
Oklahoma: Olivia Munn
CSU Bakersfield: Big Poppa E
North Carolina: Andy Griffith
FGCU: Courtney Jolly
USC: Will Ferrell
Providence: David Angell
Indiana: Laverne Cox
Chattanooga: Hugh Beaumont
Kentucky: Ashley Judd
Stony Brook: Joy Behar
Notre Dame: Regis Philbin
Michigan: Arthur Miller
West Virginia: Don Knotts
S.F. Austin: Don Henley
Wisconsin: Frank Lloyd Wright
Pittsburgh: Mr. Rogers
Xavier: John Boehner
Weber St.: Lance Allred
Virginia: Tina Fey
Hampton: Wanda Sykes
Texas Tech: Pat Green
Butler: Jim Jones
Purdue: Jim Gaffigan
UALR: Derek Fisher
Iowa St.: George Washington Carver
Iona: Don McLean
Seton Hall: Dick Vitale
Gonzaga: Bing Crosby
Utah: Ted Bundy
Fresno St.: Dot Marie Jones
Dayton: Erma Bombeck
Syracuse: Aaron Sorkin
Michigan St.: James Caan
Middle Tennessee: Hillary Scott
