Number of perfect March Madness brackets dwindles into the hundreds after the first round - AP News

Hundreds of people who correctly predicted every first-round outcome in March Madness bracket competitions still have perfect records heading into the second round. The NCAA tournament's 68-team format and inherent unpredictability of college basketball make maintaining a flawless bracket increasingly difficult as games advance—statistically, the odds of picking all winners diminish exponentially with each round. The dwindling pool of perfect brackets reflects both the tournament's competitive intensity and the appeal of bracket-filling contests, which draw millions of casual and serious fans each year. Many of those still-perfect brackets likely belong to seasoned tournament analysts and fans with deep knowledge of college basketball, though some may simply be lucky. As play continues, the number of unblemished records will almost certainly fall to dozens or fewer by the final rounds.