Oh yes folks … its that magical time of the year: NCAA March Madness! Here is the long version of the instructions if you want to read all of the particulars. Otherwise go straight to the tournament website

Welcome back to Grit’s 7th annual Bracket Challenge.

Filling our your bracket
-
To begin first go here and fill out a bracket: http://www.garrettmcalister.com/ncaa/tournamententry.html
You can fill out as many as you like, just keep clicking the link above, or on Enter Your Picks and adding your bracket name, your name, valid email and valid phone number into the form. Select the winner of the games simply by clicking on the team name. Be sure to put in a combined score at the end in case of a tie breaker. Click submit when you are done, or reset picks down at the bottom if you mess up.

If you would rather just fill them out the old fashioned way, you can give me your brackets when you turn in your money. You can also email me your picks.

Updating the website
-
After you submit your bracket it will not appear on the website until I manually process them to check for errors. I will update the site a few times during the week before the tournament starts so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see your bracket listed under the Current Standings report right away. You will receive an email acknowledging that I have received your picks after you submit each bracket. I will error check all of the brackets beforehand, and will contact you directly if there are any discrepancies. Once the tournament begins, the website will be updating itself automatically, pulling in the winners, scores and updating the stats and ranks.

Viewing your ranking
-
During the tournament you can use this website to track your ranking, statistics, news updates, and much more: http://www.garrettmcalister.com/ncaa/
This site will be updated automatically during the tournament giving you the latest, up to the minute information on the overall standings. More statistics will become available as the tournament gets closer to the end. Out of all of the pages you will find at the website, the Current Standings will be the most important to watch: http://www.garrettmcalister.com/ncaa/currentstandings.html

Payouts

$5 per bracket
Winner takes 60%
2nd Place takes 20%
3rd Place takes 10%

Modest 10% to the house to cover costs

The winner will be the person with the highest points total. The scoring will go as such for correct picks in each round:

- Round 1 – 1 Point
- Round 2 – 2 Points
- Round 3 – 4 Points – Sweet Sixteen
- Round 4 – 8 Points – Final Four
- Round 5 – 10 Points – Championship Game
- Round 6 – 15 points – Champion

Tie breakers
-
In the event of any ties, the following three items (in order, one at a time) will be used to break them:

- Total score in final
- Overall winning pick percentage
- Most teams picked in the final four

Due dates
-
The brackets will be released on Sunday March 15th, you have until 12PM on Thursday March 19th to complete and submit your brackets. The ‘play in’ game on March 17th will be a gimme. This gives everyone a few extra days to think their picks over and get them turned in. Go ahead and turn your brackets in BEFORE this time if you want to, and I will make the changes after that game is decided.

Payment
-
You can pay the entry fee via one of the following methods:

- Pay online with a deposit to: garrett.mcalister@gmail.com
- Check Payable to Garrett McAlister received in my mailbox by March 17th.
- Cash put in my hand

Money will be accepted up until tip off of the first games on Thursday March 18th, but checks must be received by the 17th.

Any brackets not paid for by tip off on March 19th at 12PM will be deleted, no ifs ands or butts.

Contact Info:
garrett.mcalister@gmail.com
3011 Petty Jay Road
Louisville, KY 40220