Start flexing those foam fingers, college b-ball fans. The NCAA Men’s and Women’s basketball tournaments begin this week. And you just know Fort Worth will be all in — especially since we’re playing host.

That’s right, first and second-round games will be tipping off at Dickies Arena on Thurs., March 17 + Sat., March 19. Tickets are already in high demand, so those who want to score some seats may need to consider the NCAA ticket exchange. Otherwise, best to click on that remote.

Local favorites are well represented in the tourneys, thanks to TCU in the men’s bracket, and UT Arlington on the women’s side. Truly any team has a shot to win it all, so may the odds be ever in their favor.

We’ll help you sort through all the madness to cheer on those home squads whether it’s on the couch or the bar stool. Oh, and don’t forget to vote on our honky-tonk bracket, which promises to be a real buzzer beater, too.

Game on 🏀

TCU (9) vs. Seton Hall (8) | Fri., March 18 | 8:57 p.m. | truTv | Like the Horned Frogs’ chances? No. 9 seeds have made the second round — aka the Thankful 32 — 50.7% of the time.
UT Arlington (14) vs. Iowa State (3) | Fri., March 18 | 9 p.m. | ESPNU | Like the Mavericks’ chances? No. 14 seeds made the second round 15.3% of the time.

Party till the brackets bust 🎉

Dickies Arena Fan Fest, Simmons Bank Plaza on the east side of the arena | Thurs., March 17-Sat., March 19 | Fans can enjoy games, live music, food + drinks, and photo opportunities.

Winning picks ✔️

Spoiler alert — if you’ve joined an office or friend-created NCAA pool, you’re going to get some picks wrong, since the chances of selecting a perfect bracket are 9.2 quintillion to one. You just need to be less wrong than the other participants, so keep these other numbers in mind:

Only once in the past 36 years did all four No. 1 seeds make it to the Final Four in the men’s tournament
But only 18 teams seeded seventh or worse have reached the Final Four
No. 1 seeds in the women's tournament have won almost 80% of championships, and no team seeded worse than No. 3 has won the women's tourney

In other words, pick a few upsets early, stick to mostly higher seeds late, and more than anything else — have fun.