2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament
Fans across the nation are feeling the buzz, hype, and madness that comes every March, as the biggest dance in basketball is about to begin. With Selection Sunday, when the full 2025 68-team bracket will be announced, just a week away, it’s time for your restaurant’s team to gear up, put on their best game faces, and write your own Cinderella story.
Full-Court Press
From brackets to buzzer-beaters, there’s no time to waste to get ready for this year’s Big Dance—it’s full-court press time!
And with sports fans across the nation gearing up for the Big Dance, March Madness presents a huge opportunity for those in the food game to score big profits.
Whether out at local sports bars or at staying at home with friends, more than 10 million people watch the March Madness tournaments every year. And though the brackets differ, the players change, and the scores are unknown, one thing remains constant: there will be food!
Second only to the Super Bowl, March Madness draws huge crowds to online menus and food delivery. But capitalizing on the tournament requires more than great bites. A winning marketing strategy and a targeted menu will keep them coming back game after game.
March Madness Terms to Know
First Four: When the NCAA tournament was expanded to 68 teams, a new round was added to the format: The First Four. Four games, played on the Tuesday and Wednesday (March 19th and 20th this year) after Selection Sunday, determine which of eight teams advance to the first round of the tournament.
Elite Eight — The fourth round of the tournament, when just eight teams remain, is known as the Elite Eight. This round is the final game for each regional, before the four winners move on to the national semifinal, known as the Final Four.
Final Four — The fifth round of the tournament, when just four teams remain, is known as the Final Four.
Pace/Tempo — An estimate of the number of possessions a team has per regulation (40 minutes).
Regional — The NCAA tournament bracket is split into four regionals. The South, East, West, and Midwest.
Seed — 68 teams earn bids to the NCAA tournament, and each one receives a seed — from 1 to 16 —that determines where the team will be placed in the bracket.
Selection Sunday — The day everyone waits for, when the Selection Committee announces the tournament field. In 2024, Selection Sunday was on March 17.
Sweet 16 — The third round of the tournament, where only 16 teams remain. The winner of each game will play in the Elite Eight.
On the Bubble — A team that is “on the bubble” for the NCAA tournament is one whose qualification for the tournament could go either way. They’re on the verge of making the field of 68, but an invitation isn’t guaranteed.
Cinderella — A Cinderella team is one that is much more successful than expected.
7 Ways to Score Profits
Host a Tournament Bracket Contest
Even those that aren’t basketball fans fill out brackets every year. To win points with customers, host a bracket contest with prizes ranging from a free meal to a team jersey to give them the incentive to get in on the action.
Invite online customers to fill out a bracket on your website and encourage in-house guests to fill out a paper bracket. Not only will this forge authentic interaction between your staff and existing customers, but it will also introduce your brand to new ones in a fun and creative way.
Menu Bracket Contest
Using any bracket template, create a bracket using the menu items featured on your March Madness Menu.
- Fill in the first round with the items you’d like to see go head to head from your menu and decide on fun prizes and incentives to offer along the way.
- Make copies to hand out to your customers and have them make their picks for their favorite menu items, fill in their contact details, and submit them to be entered to win
Sit back and track the winners of each round week by week as the NCAA tournament progresses. Not only will your customers enjoy getting in on the family-friendly game, but you’ll collect valuable data on your menu trends.
Beyond the Brackets
There are a multitude of other March Madness contest ideas. Try these:
- Hashtag contest: Have customers use a special hashtag along with a photo of how they are celebrating the game enjoying your restaurant’s offerings. The customers with the most likes win a free meal.
- Mad Prizes: Create March Madness prize ideas that invite customers to come back at a later date, such as a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an entrée.
- Buzzer Beater Specials: Have customers vote on which one of your top two appetizers will have the most sales during March Madness. Everyone who enters receives 15% off their next order. Then announce the winning item on social media.
Support Local Teams
If you’re lucky enough to be in a host city or one of the local teams has made it to the dance, this is an excellent opportunity to up your odds to score big profits. Be sure to promote your menu using team colors and logos and decorate your dining room with one or more local teams in the tournament. Put flags, banners, and signs in your restaurant’s storefront to attract passers-by, and decorate the inside of your business with coordinating streamers or balloons to create a fun, March Madness-themed atmosphere.
Creative Menu Offerings
Show your customers you’ve got game by creating menu specials that entice customers to watch the games at your restaurant or order delivery during the televised events. From a simple special on craft beers and appetizers to full special menus with themed items, there’s no limit to the ideas.
- Basketball Court Seven Layer Dip
- Basketball burgers
- Basket (Meat) balls
- Basketball Sliders
- Basketball Fried Mozzarella
- Mini Basketball Quesadillas
- Three point-three-topping basketball pizza
Bring on the Beer
March Madness and beer go hand-in-hand, so if your restaurant delivers spirits, be sure to stock up on the brewskies. If your restaurant caters to the millennial or college crowd, definitely consider offering a selection of craft beers and adding them to your special online menu.
Get Social
Whether you’re serving $3 cocktails throughout the tournament or hosting a bracket contest, don’t attempt a buzzer-beater marketing strategy. Getting the word out to customers on social media early lets your customers know about your menu specials and March Madness events.
Post contests and winners on Instagram, Tik Tok, and Facebook and tie in a few stories showing your support for your local team to keep your customers engaged. Consider running ads on social media as well, especially as Final Four weekend approaches.
Keep your customers updated with what games you will be showing and what specials you are running as often as possible. Social media gives your business an open line of communication with customers 24/7, so why not use it to your advantage?
Take Away
Getting your restaurant ready for March Madness 2025 means suiting up, getting the word out, and putting the right promotions in place.
With tipoff just days away, March Madness is a great opportunity for your restaurant to stand out from the crowded field of competitors and create your own Cinderella story. So, regardless of which team takes home the national title, make sure your restaurant walks away with the most important prize of all—profits!
By Eileen Strauss
