Every March, men’s and women’s college basketball dominates the sports world. Office productivity drops (by 22%, according to Paychex), group chats explode, and even casual fans suddenly have strong opinions on bubble teams. 

This year, ESPN is leaning into that all-consuming bracket energy with its newest Tournament Challenge marketing campaign, “Bracketbrain.” Created in collaboration with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), the campaign brings to life the symptoms every fan knows too well.

Your boss is talking, but all you hear is commentary. Your spreadsheets start looking like seed matchups. You wake up in a cold sweat, convinced you picked the wrong Final Four. That’s Bracketbrain—when brackets take over your mind, and the only way out is to embrace it by playing ESPN’s No. 1 Tournament Challenge game.

“Every March, college hoops take over our brains—brackets at breakfast, upsets in our dreams, nerves on whether you made the correct Final Four picks right up until the selection window closes. Bracketbrain captures that madness perfectly,” said Alex Healy-Lucciola, Senior Director, Marketing, Fantasy and BET at ESPN. “ESPN Tournament Challenge is the bracket challenge game fans turn to because it’s easy-to-use and invites every type of sports fan to play and be part of the conversation.”

With millions of fans playing every year, ESPN Tournament Challenge remains the go-to destination for the ultimate bracket experience.

ESPN Tournament Challenge Bracket Games Now Open
Both the Women’s and Men’s ESPN Tournament Challenge games are now open for fans to create entries and join or start groups. The Women’s Tournament Challenge is presented by Nissan, Allstate, and Capital One, while the Men’s Tournament Challenge is presented by Allstate, Molson Coors, Chick-fil-A, and Fortnite.

In 2024, the Men’s ESPN Tournament Challenge collected 22.6 million completed brackets, the most ever and up 13% compared to the previous year’s all-time record. Meanwhile, participation in the ESPN Women’s Tournament Challenge has more than doubled since 2019, growing by +103%, part of the significant upward trend in the popularity of women’s sports. 

With record-breaking participation and the continued rise of women’s sports, ESPN Tournament Challenge is bigger than ever.