Bracket Challenge: Fill Out Your Bracket and Compete Against Our Experts

The NCAA Tournament has arrived, and with it comes the annual ritual of bracket prognostication. This year, the No. 2-ranked Arizona Wildcats headline the West Region as the No. 1 seed, marking the program’s first top-line placement since 2022. That previous 1-seed run ended abruptly in the Sweet 16; Wildcat supporters are hoping history does not repeat itself.

Arizona earned the coveted position by posting a 32-2 record, sweeping both the Big 12 regular-season title and the conference tournament crown. The championship game came down to a memorable clash with Houston, a victory that sealed the Cats’ spot atop the regional bracket.

While the Wildcats chase redemption, Sports Illustrated’s Arizona Wildcats site is turning the spotlight on readers. Staff writers have already submitted their brackets, declaring national champions and Cinderella stories alike. Now it is the audience’s turn to test its college-basketball acumen by going head-to-head against the same experts who study the sport year-round.

March Madness has long been defined by its volatility: a 16-seed can topple a 1-seed, a mid-major can rattle off four straight wins, and buzzer-beaters can rewrite entire seasons. That volatility levels the playing field between seasoned analysts and casual fans who may select winners based on little more than jersey colors or mascot appeal. Luck, momentum, and a single hot shooting night can upend even the most data-driven bracket.

The SI Arizona team accepting the challenge consists of four writers whose collective experience spans television, radio, digital media, and campus newspapers:

- Nathaniel Martinez, a lifelong multi-sport devotee currently pursuing a Media and Mass Communications degree at Arizona State, has covered athletics for SI, AllSportsTucson.com, and the Aztec Press. - Justin Backer, a prolific contributor across multiple On SI platforms, began honing his craft at Florida Atlantic University and continues to chronicle every Wildcats development. - Travis Tyler, armed with degrees from Michigan State and SMU, brings reporting, podcasting, and videography skills cultivated over years on the beat. - Caleb Meadows, an Oklahoma State graduate with a degree in sports communications, has written on everything from North Carolina basketball to WWE storylines.

Readers can click the embedded link, complete their own brackets, and see how their picks stack up against this quartet of specialists. Whether the outcome is decided by deep film study or blind intuition, the opportunity to claim bracket supremacy is open to all.

The opening tipoff is hours away. Submit your bracket, join the challenge, and prove that your foresight—or your good fortune—can outshine the experts.