There’s no significant disgrace in having a flawed March Madness bracket. The NCAA Tournament is a whirlwind of single-elimination excitement, where surprises are part of the allure, and only one can emerge victorious. But what we can’t overlook is a lackluster, uninspired bracket name.
The men’s and women’s tournaments offer a plethora of pun-worthy schools, player names, and coaches to choose from — and even a venue or two. Here are some of my favorite puns and playful bracket names for 2025. Feel free to share yours in the comments below.
Men’s Tournament
- Ok, Broomer — For those envisioning an Auburn triumph, inspired by their star, Johni Broome. These aren’t your traditional Tigers.
- Green Flaggs — If Duke’s Cooper Flagg is healthy, many will favor the Blue Devils.
- Lipsey’s Hustle — Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey and the Fightin’ Otzelbergers are in for a marathon.
- Knuck If You Buzz — Texas A&M’s coach Buzz Williams exudes the intensity of a prime Lil Scrappy.
- Let’s Get Oweh From It All — For Otega Oweh of Kentucky: “Let’s take a plane to Lexington.”
- Yes, UConn — For the steadfast Huskies supporters.
- No, UConn’t — For those who have actually watched UConn this season.
- Creighton for a Star to Fall — The name whispered on the wind? “Ryan Kalkbrenner.”
- Caleb Love and Basketball — For what? Our hearts, of course, along with an Arizona run.
- Caleb Grillz — Missouri’s Caleb Grill has his whole top diamond and the bottom row gold… we think.
- Littlejohn and the Eastside Boyz — Chase Hunter and Clemson aim to bring some hardware back to Littlejohn Coliseum.
- Frankie Fidler on the Roof — To life, to life, to Sparty. Tevye would trust Michigan State’s Tom Izzo in March.
- Love (Ma)shack — It’s a lil’ old place where we can get together… and cause a major upset. Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack makes a memorable bracket name.
- LJ Cryer and the Infinite Sadness — A [Houston] Cougar with Butterfly Wings. Underestimate them at your peril.
- Queen’s Gambit — Maryland’s freshman Derik Queen is the fastest turtle we’ve ever seen.
- Kameron Presents…the (Golden) Diplomats — Inspired by Marquette’s guard Kameron Jones. Perhaps David Joplin is Juelz Santana?
- Silkk Da Shaka — Another clever Marquette reference.
- Toppin My Collar — For those reminiscing about Texas Tech’s resurgence and star JT Toppin, and wishing for 2005 again.
- “What Are You Doing in My Swamp?!” — The Florida Gators would triumph against Lord Farquaad.
- Rick Pitino’s Bodega Corner — The Johnnies have taken New York by (red) storm.
- Throw it Down, Big Man — For those wishing to honor the late Bill Walton.
- One Shining Moment — A tribute to the late Greg Gumbel.
- Grant Nelson’s Mustache — Celebrating the sport’s modern canon.
- The Parentheses Preferers — Who needs brackets? Proper punctuation prevents poor performance.
- Tar Heels and Glass Slippers — Maybe, just maybe, someone sees UNC making a Cinderella run.
- The Floor Slappers Federation — It’s about that time.
Women’s Tournament
- Elementary, My Dear Watkins — For those viewing JuJu Watkins and the Trojans as “A Study in Scarlet.”
- JuJu Fruit — We can’t get enough of JuJu!
- For Bueckers or Worse — Paige Bueckers shines, but Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd also had standout seasons.
- For Auriemma, Forever Ago — Does UConn’s iconic coach, Geno Auriemma, know who Bon Iver is?
- Place Your Betts — UCLA and Lauren Betts could certainly cash out after their inspired Big Ten tourney performance.
- Dawn and On — South Carolina and Dawn Staley chase their fourth national title of this era. More Erykah Badu, please.
- Boom Boom Paopao — The WNBA-bound Gamecock Te-Hina Paopao is so 3008.
- The Van, The Lith, The Legend — TCU’s Hailey Van Lith was the MVP of the Big 12 Tournament.
- Hidalgo To Bed — Don’t overlook Notre Dame (or Hannah Hidalgo) despite late-season struggles.
- Came Out a Beast — Flau’jae Johnson excels both on the court and in the recording studio.
- Taylor Jones’ Block Party — Everyone’s invited. Texas has a formidable frontcourt.
- Wes is Moore — A guiding mantra. NC State’s Wes Moore is the ACC’s Coach of the Year.
- Lawson’s Creek — For those switching to Duke (coached by Kara Lawson) after their conference tournament title.
- O.K., Sooner — A nod to those supporting Raegan Beers and Oklahoma.
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(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Harry How / Getty Images, Grant Halverson / Getty Images, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
