Why March Madness Is Always a Little Different on Full Ride

Why Rick Neuheisel’s history with a bracket pool still shapes our NCAA Tournament conversations every year.

This is always an interesting time of year on Full Ride.

Rick and I have been together almost 11 years now. And when it comes to March Madness and all the talk of brackets, you can still tell Rick gets a little uncomfortable. A little PTSD sets in.

Honestly though, I’m proud of him.

As the years have gone by, it’s become easier for Rick to embrace the Madness of March. These days he can joke about what happened in the past and lean into the competitive zeal and reality-show drama that makes the NCAA Tournament one of the greatest sporting events in America. I give him a ton of credit for that.

Because let’s be honest — who among us wouldn’t feel the same way if we were in his shoes?

Think about how hypocritical the whole thing feels now.