March madness was born in Illinois, Chicago.
Henry V. Porter, an Illinois High School Association official who was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is credited with originally using the phrase to describe the state’s high school basketball tournament in 1939.
The Tribune adopted it in 1940, but Porter’s motto remained largely a regional phenomenon for four decades until CBS broadcaster Brent Musburger, a former Chicago newspaper reporter, began using it during the NCAA tournament in 1982.
The term caught on — maybe a little too quickly. The IHSA sued to stop NCAA corporate sponsor GTE from distributing a video game bearing the March Madness title.
“Call me a naive country-boy educator, but I thought if I owned the trademark to something, I owned the right to it,” then-IHSA executive director Dave Fry told the Tribune in May 1996. “But that apparently is not quite so, which is pretty frustrating.”
Later that year, the IHSA and NCAA hammered out a joint venture called the March Madness Athletic Association.
More Top Picks Best Blackout Curtains For Kids Rooms
This partnership remained until 2012, when the NCAA obtained full ownership of the phrase. NCAA also holds the licensing for “March Madness Experience,” “March to the Madness” and “March Mayhem,” among its many trademarks.
So, if your family decides to make T-shirts to celebrate your favorite team this tournament season, then maybe use Advance Absurdity, Forward Foolishness, Movement Mania or Stride Stupidity to avoid a potential lawsuit.
Want to cheer for a local team? Northwestern (21-11) received the No. 7 seed in the West Region and will face 10th-seeded Boise State in the first round tonight in Sacramento, Calif. (6:35 p.m., truTV) — six years to the day after winning their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
How you can support this newsletter
Become a Tribune subscriber: it’s just $12 for a 1 year digital subscription. Follow us on Instagram: @vintagetribune. And, catch me Monday mornings on WLS-AM’s “The Steve Cochran Show” for a look at “This week in Chicago history.”
Thanks for reading! Go! U Northwestern!
— Kori Rumore, visual reporter
Chicago history | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition
March 23, 1963: Loyola wins NCAA championship over Cincinnati
Loyola did it with 1 second left in an overtime. And they did it against a team seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title in a row. Read more here.
1963 Loyola Ramblers remembered for NCAA championship and inspiring social change
Chris Lamb: Jerry Harkness’ legendary run with Loyola began with a pep talk from Jackie Robinson
Meet Sister Jean: Loyola basketball’s 103-year-old chaplain
At 103, Sister Jean has a memoir: Shocking details? None. Gripes? Just one.
March 17, 1979: DePaul beats No. 1 seed UCLA
At halftime, DePaul led by 17. They held on for a 95-91 victory and advanced to the Final Four. Read more here.
Read the original Tribune story: Final Four! DePaul first bludgeons, then beats back, UCLA
It was Magic vs. Bird in the Final Four in 1979, but do you remember Mark Aguirre and DePaul?
Rick Morrissey: Toast of the town, ’79
March 8, 1997: University of Chicago advances to D-III Sweet Sixteen
The Maroons, for ages barren of any winning basketball squads, were in the thick of the Division III championship hunt. But March Madness hit different in Hyde Park.
The Final Four? More like the finals four: “I have four exams in one day,” said sleep-deprived student Manuj Shah, hopped up on tea. Read more here.
More Top Picks Best Baby Carriers For Newborns
March 14, 1997: Free throws close curtain on Maroons’ season of a lifetime
March 8, 1998: UIC goes dancing, baby
It was a no-look pass into the NCAA Tournament for the 22-5 Flames — the team’s first NCAA Tournament in school history. Read more here.
March 15, 2002: Flames battle gamely but burn out
UIC joins the Missouri Valley Conference after 28 years in the Horizon League
March 16, 2017: Northwestern — in its first ever tournament appearance — savors win against Vanderbilt
Playing in the Salt Lake City arena where Michael Jordan iced his final NBA championship, Northwestern guard Bryant McIntosh scored a game-high 25 points, nailing 10 of 16 from the field and two game-winning free throws. Read more here.
March 27, 1939: Northwestern hosts first NCAA tournament final in 1939
Join our Chicagoland history Facebook group and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.
Have an idea for Vintage baiduhai? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at [email protected] and [email protected].