This year’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show was a mess for CBS, thanks in large part to the length the program ran and the way it was spoiled by March Madness brackets that leaked on Twitter.
Early on in the Selection Show, a Twitter user who appeared to be a Kansas fan posted 2016 March Madness brackets on the web:
It didn’t take long for users to notice that the fan’s leaked brackets matched exactly what CBS was showing on TV. Pretty soon the brackets circulated and were retweeted thousands of times, ruining the show for many.
Not only did the leaked brackets take suspense away from watching the drawn-out TV show, but many college basketball teams and players say they learned their fate from the leaked bracket. Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett says he learned from the leaked bracket that his team didn’t make it:
Bennett said he saw the leaked bracket while the third region was being announced and he knew then they were out.
— Jimmy Durkin (@Jimmy_Durkin) March 13, 2016
The NCAA issued a statement about the leaked bracket and said they were “looking into it.”
NCAA releases a statement about the bracket leak: pic.twitter.com/qnYlyWFn04
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) March 14, 2016
The Twitter user who leaked the brackets later changed his username and made his profile private.
Many fans had complaints about the selection show and were actually relieved to view the brackets via the leak.
