Introduction to March Madness Bracket Perfection

Every year, millions of March Madness brackets are filled out ahead of the NCAA Tournament, with all but a handful usually broken by the end of the first round. But still, let’s imagine by some miracle a bracket was perfectly predicted. What would that insanely lucky person win?

This year, depending on where a bracket was filled out, the average joe could win a $1 million, a trip to Mars or tickets to the 2026 Men’s Final Four, among a litany of other smaller cash prizes.

Elon Musk Bracket

Officially dubbed the "X Bracket Challenge," Elon Musk launched a bracket challenge where the grand prize for a perfect bracket is a trip to Mars aboard a Space X spaceship.
If no bracket is perfect, a $100,000 cash prize will be given to the top-performing bracket submitted online.

ESPN Tournament Challenge

While ESPN’s annual Tournament Challenge doesn’t have a bombastic high-dollar giveaway like other outlets on this list, they do offer dozens of opportunities for participants to win money.
ESPN is set to give out 20 grand prizes of $5,000 to those who correctly pick the national champion, 25 prizes of $1,000 for participants who fill out at least 25 brackets, and a $10,000 prize for participants who created a group with 10 entrants or more.
According to ESPN, the same prizes are included for the Women’s Tournament Challenge.

NCAA Bracket Challenge

The top prize offered through the NCAA’s Bracket Challenge Sweepstakes doesn’t even require a perfect bracket.
The person who ends up having the best bracket through their sweepstakes will win two tickets to the 2026 Men’s Final Four, along with a four-night trip with hotel accommodations, $1500 for airfare and $750 in spending money.
According to the NCAA, the same prizes will be awarded to the best women’s bracket, along with two tickets to the 2026 Women’s Final Four.

USA Today Sports Bracket Challenge

USA Today Sports is offering $1 million to anyone who can correctly guess the winners of all 67 NCAA Tournament games, with a $25,000 prize for the entry with the best overall bracket.

Warren Buffett Bracket

To qualify for entry into the Warren Buffett bracket challenge, entrants must first be employees under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella.
Buffett said he will give away $1 million to any employee across Berkshire Hathaway’s companies who can correctly predict at least 30 of the NCAA Tournament’s 32 first round games.
Should no employee hit the 30/32 threshold, the employee with the most correct picks will win the $1 million grand prize, while the runners-up will get $100,000 each.

Yahoo Sports Bracket Madness

Yahoo Sports hands out a $25,000 grand prize to whoever ends up with the most accurate bracket in their entry pool each year.

What are the odds of submitting a perfect bracket?

Quite frankly, any given person is more likely to be struck by lightning as they win the Powerball lottery, than they are to submit a perfect March Madness bracket, but I’ll humor you with the odds.
According to ncaa.com, the odds of submitting a perfect bracket are 1-in-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 if making choices based on pure guess or coin flip. They increase to 1-in-120.2 billion with knowledge of teams, tournament history and an understanding of basketball itself.
The odds of winning the Powerball lottery are about 1-in-292.2 million, while the odds of getting struck by lightning are about 1-in-15,300, which would make your odds of both happening at the same time about 1-in-4,494,382,022,471.
Essentially speaking, a person is a little more than 2,052,200 times more likely to get hit by lightning while winning the lottery, than they are to fill out a perfect March Madness bracket based on pure chance.
May the odds be ever in your favor.

Conclusion

While the odds are against you, filling out a perfect March Madness bracket can lead to some incredible prizes, ranging from $1 million to a trip to Mars. Whether you’re entering through ESPN, the NCAA, or another outlet, the potential rewards are substantial. So, take a chance, fill out your bracket, and who knows, you might just become a millionaire or find yourself on a SpaceX flight.

FAQs

Q: What is the grand prize for the Elon Musk Bracket Challenge?
A: The grand prize for the Elon Musk Bracket Challenge is a trip to Mars aboard a Space X spaceship.
Q: How much can you win through the ESPN Tournament Challenge?
A: Through the ESPN Tournament Challenge, you can win up to $10,000, along with other smaller cash prizes.
Q: What is the top prize offered by the NCAA Bracket Challenge Sweepstakes?
A: The top prize offered by the NCAA Bracket Challenge Sweepstakes is two tickets to the 2026 Men’s Final Four, along with a four-night trip and spending money.
Q: What are the odds of submitting a perfect bracket?
A: The odds of submitting a perfect bracket are 1-in-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 if making choices based on pure guess or coin flip, and 1-in-120.2 billion with knowledge of teams, tournament history, and an understanding of basketball itself.