Last year, 5 entries out of 4,446 total entries survived the madness in our $100K NCAAB Survivor Madness contest. We've upped the stakes this year. With $1M in guaranteed cash on the line and 11,112 entries available, more madness is guaranteed. So, what can we learn from last year's 5 winners and the pick data from that contest? Let's dive in.
A Winning Path
Five people went perfect in our 2024 Survivor Madness Contest. What can we learn from their picks? Let's start with the first round. Most users went with 2 or 3 seeds on Day 1 and took advantage of Duke and Baylor matching up against inferior opponents on Day 2 pic.twitter.com/xfCvitrxJA— Splash Sports (@splashsports_) March 7, 2025Looking at the five winning entrants, it's clear they came into the contest with a plan: UConn no matter what. Each entrant saved UConn until the National Championship, meaning they identified the Huskies as the team they thought would be cutting down the nets. So, it's as easy as picking the National Champion before the tournament!
They also adjusted to the chaos as the tournament went on. They were all forced to take NC State, an 11-seed, in the Elite Eight, a pick that came with significant risk even based on the Wolfpack's Cinderella run. You never know when a run like that will end, but with the teams these entrants had remaining, they had no choice.
For the early rounds, the strategy was simple: play it relatively safe. The highest seed taken through the first two rounds of the tournament were 5-seeds in Gonzaga and San Diego State. Only one 1-seed was burned in the first four days of the tournament, UNC on Day 1.
Go into the tournament with a winner in mind, take calculated risks, and map out your path. These strategies helped last year's entrants walk away with 20K, and could help you win $1M this season.
First Round Strategy
The first two days of the tournament make or break your entries. Last year across all Survivor contests on Splash, 98.76% of entries were eliminated on Day 1. Then, on Day 2, 98.33% of the remaining entries were eliminated. Your 'lock' isn't as safe as you think it is. Many people go for an unassuming 4 or 5 seed like last year's Saint Mary's, Auburn, Wisconsin, and even Kentucky, but there are no guarantees in March Madness. The challenge of Days 1 and 2is picking a team that you think will win, but won't have a deep tournament run. Find a squad with a favorable draw in the first two rounds that could run into the powerhouse 1 or 2 seed later in the tournament, and cross your fingers. Here were some of the best performing seeds for Round 1 to guide your Day 1 and Day 2 picks:
1 seeds: 4-0
7 seeds: 4-0
11 seeds: 3-1
2 seeds: 3-1
4 seeds: 3-1
Embrace the Madness
It's called March Madness for a reason. Find your Cinderella team (or two), and use it to your advantage. Your picks could land you $1M in guaranteed cash! Join the Survivor Madness World Championship today.
