Official Sweepstakes Rules

March Madness Bracket Competition 2026

§ NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility

The BracketNova March Madness Bracket Competition ("Sweepstakes") is open only to:

  • Individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry
  • Legal residents of the United States (excluding residents of states where prohibited)
  • Individuals with a valid PayPal account capable of receiving payments

Employees, officers, and directors of BracketNova, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and those living in the same household are not eligible to participate.

Void where prohibited by law. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

2. Entry Period

The Sweepstakes begins on March 10, 2026 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time ("ET") and ends on March 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET (the "Entry Period"). All entries must be received by the end of the Entry Period. Entries submitted after the deadline will not be eligible.

3. How to Enter

To enter the Sweepstakes:

  1. Register: Visit bracketnova.com and create a free account by providing a valid email address and PayPal email for prize distribution.
  2. Verify Email: Click the verification link sent to your email address to activate your account.
  3. Generate Brackets: Use your free bracket credits to generate bracket predictions. Each registered user receives complimentary bracket credits upon signup.
  4. Earn Additional Brackets: Users can earn additional bracket credits through:
    • Daily login bonuses
    • Watching sponsored advertisements
    • Referring friends who register and verify their accounts

Each generated bracket constitutes one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes. There is no limit to the number of brackets a user may generate, subject to the availability of bracket credits through legitimate means.

4. Prize Structure

Perfect Bracket Prize Pool

The prize pool for perfect brackets will be funded through advertising revenue and will be announced prior to the start of the tournament.

  • Single Perfect Bracket: If only one (1) valid entry achieves a perfect bracket (correctly predicting all 63 tournament games), that entrant will receive 100% of the perfect bracket prize pool.
  • Multiple Perfect Brackets: If two (2) or more valid entries achieve perfect brackets, the prize pool will be split equally among all perfect bracket holders.
  • No Perfect Brackets: If no entry achieves a perfect bracket, the perfect bracket prize pool will roll over to the following year's competition or be distributed at the sponsor's discretion.

Payment Method: All prizes will be paid via PayPal to the email address associated with the winner's account. Winners must have a valid, verified PayPal account capable of receiving payments. Prize payments will be made within thirty (30) days of tournament conclusion and winner verification.

5. Winner Selection & Verification

Winners will be determined based on the accuracy of their bracket predictions:

  • Perfect Bracket: A bracket that correctly predicts the winner of all 63 games in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
  • Official Results: All results are based on official NCAA tournament outcomes as determined by the NCAA. Games decided by overtime are counted based on the final score.
  • Winner Verification: Potential winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility, liability release, and (where legal) publicity release within fourteen (14) days of notification.
  • Notification: Winners will be notified via the email address associated with their account within seven (7) days of tournament conclusion.

6. Odds of Winning

The odds of achieving a perfect bracket are approximately 1 in 9.2 quintillion (9,223,372,036,854,775,808) if selections are made randomly. However, the actual odds may vary based on the entrant's knowledge of college basketball and the specific tournament matchups. The odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received and the accuracy of all entries.

7. Limitations of Liability

By entering, entrants agree to release and hold harmless BracketNova, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from:

  • Participation in the Sweepstakes
  • Acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize
  • Technical failures of any kind
  • Lost, late, incomplete, or misdirected entries
  • Errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes
  • Any injury or damage to persons or property

8. Dispute Resolution

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Official Rules, or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall take place in the State of Delaware. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

9. General Conditions

  • BracketNova reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Sweepstakes if any fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond its reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes.
  • Any attempt to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws.
  • BracketNova reserves the right to disqualify any entry or entrant at any time, in its sole discretion, for any reason, including but not limited to: fraud, cheating, use of automated systems (bots), creation of multiple accounts, or any other unfair advantage.
  • In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a winner, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter will be deemed to be the winner.

10. Sponsor Information

The Sponsor of this Sweepstakes is BracketNova. For questions or concerns regarding these Official Rules, please contact us at [email protected].

These Official Rules are subject to change. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised date. Continued participation in the Sweepstakes after any such changes constitutes acceptance of the new rules.

Last Updated: March 2026

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