Updated April 4, 2018

NFL ☆ NCAA ☆ MLB ☆ UFC ☆ NHL☆ Soccer ☆ Golf ☆ Rugby ☆ Rec Sponsorship

Find your alma mater team bar in Chicago for March Madness and other NCAA sports.

America East ☆ American Athletic Conference ☆ Atlantic 10 ☆ Atlantic Coast ☆ Atlantic Sun ☆ Big 12 ☆ Big East ☆ Big Sky ☆ Big South ☆ Big Ten ☆ Big West ☆ Colonial Athletic ☆ Conference USA ☆ Horizon ☆ Ivy League ☆ Metro Atlantic Athletic ☆ Mid-American ☆ Mid-Eastern ☆ Missouri Valley ☆ Mountain West ☆ Northeast ☆ Ohio Valley ☆ Pac-12 ☆ Patriot League ☆ Southeastern ☆ Southern ☆ Southland ☆ Southwestern Athletic ☆ Summit League ☆ Sun Belt ☆ West Coast ☆ Western Athletic

The NCAA committee selects Division I men's teams in three phases to determine the 68 teams for the tournament each year. The tournament starts with the First Four, an opening round of games that was added in 2011 when the NCAA expanded the tournament to 68 teams.

The infamous Diag at the University of Michigan Campus, courtesy of Campus Life

March Madness in Chicago

NCAA Midwest

Wild Goose is conveniently located next to Half Acre Beer Company

The Michigan Wolverines have multiple ‘official bars’ in Chicago, but Diag Bar & Grill in Lake View is our pick. Also the name of a key location on the University of Michigan campus, the Diag is a spirited Wolverine hangout in Chicago. If our spring weather cooperates, fans can enjoy the Diag’s seasonal beer garden with outdoor TVs. According to legend, if a UM student steps on the brass “M” embedded at the center of The Diag the student will fail their first exam unless he or she reverses the curse by running nude from the campus belltower to the Natural Science Museum puma statues at midnight. As a result, Chicago's Diag bar is the most likely location to see Michigan fans going streaking after the game...WestEnd, Rockit Bar & Grill and Rockit Burger Bar and Whiskey Business in Wicker Park are also official Michigan bars.

Kansas fans can watch at Crossing, Kincade’s, Lottie’s, or Toons.

Miami Hurricanes fans should climb aboard Flagship.

Our pick to watch the Michigan State game is Wild Goose, because fans can fill up a growler at Half Acre next door after the game. Spartans fans have an array of viewing options, including Corcoran’s, Mad River Bar and Grille, Mystic Celt, Sedgwicks, Avenue Tavern, Hopsmith Tavern and Municipal.

Iowa State fans gather at Murphy's Bleachers.

Purdue Boilermakers should head to Fireplace Inn or Red Ivy.

The Oregon Ducks crowd should waddle over to Homeslice and enjoy some pizza by the fire.Iowa fans should join one of two official meetups at Theory or Four Shadows.

NCAA East

Will's Northwoods Inn, is one of a handful of tried and true Wisconsin watering holes, as well as Lotties, Monty Gaels, and State. Villanova alums will meet and cheer on the Wildcats at Derby - see more on their Facebook page.

USC Trojans should check Facebook or the alumni site.

Commonwealth is a Marquette bar (in addition to Notre Dame and UCLA).Check the Duke alumni page and Facebook group for Blue Devils watch locations in Chicago.

NCAA West

Northwestern University fans can cheer on their Wildcats at any Chicago or Evanston bar, but we’re partial to Timothy O’Toole’s in Streeterville. This year the official watch parties are at Kincade's and Connie's Pizza.

Fresh off the shenanigans of St. Patrick's day, Notre Dame Fighting Irish can continue the party at any Irish bar (Declan’s?)....or Commonwealth, Marshfield's, The Irish Oak, or High Noon Saloon or Racine Plumbing.

Cheer on FGCU at Happy Camper, in Old Town. Get the full details here and join/follow the Chicago Chapter Alumni Facebook page.

Xavier fans may be competing with Iowa fans for a seat at Merkle's.

Arizona Wildcats will meet at Finley Dunn’s, check the Facebook page and alumni site.

VCU Facebook and alumni pages.

Terrapins fans can bask in the joy of a year round beer garden at Dark Horse Tap & Grill, the official watch party for Maryland.

NCAA South

North Carolina Tar Heels fans should head to Gamekeepers, and check the alumni watch group for additional events.

Gaslight is headquarters to the Chicago Butler Bulldogs.

Bearcats fans will gather at O'Leary's, in River North for the official Cincinnati game watch party. RSVP to the Facebook event here.

UCLA fans can catch the action at Commonwealth, which is also a Marquette and Notre Dame bar.

Roll a game of skeeball, shoot some pool, and cheer on the Dayton Flyers at Glascott's Saloon.

Kentucky Wildcats fans - saddle up, and ride to The Pony.

NCAA Team Watch Parties and Bars in Chicago, by Conference

America East

Vermont
Stony Brook, Seawolves alumnae page or find a watch party
New Hampshire
Albany
UMBC
Massachusetts Lowell
Hartford
Binghampton
Maine

American Athletic Conference

SMU
Cincinnati, O'Leary's, River North, Facebook
Houston
UCF
Memphis
Connecticut, Piece, Connecticut Huskies watch parties
Tulsa, Tulsa Golden Hurricanes Alumni website
Temple
East Carolina
Tulane
South Florida

Atlantic 10

Dayton, Flyers fans cheer at Glascott's Saloon.
Virginia Commonwealth, VCU Facebook and alumni pages
Rhode Island
Richmond
St. Bonaventure
George Washington
George Mason
La Salle
Davidson
Fordham
Saint Louis
Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's (PA)
Duquesne

Atlantic Coast

North Carolina
Florida State
Louisville
Notre Dame, Commonwealth, Marshfield's, The Irish Oak, or High Noon Saloon or Racine Plumbing
Duke, Duke alumni page and Facebook group for Blue Devils watch locations
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Miami (FL), Hurricanes fans should climb aboard Flagship
Syracuse, Crossroads or Gamekeeper’s
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Pittsburgh
North Carolina State
Boston College

Atlantic Sun

Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU), Happy Camper, Old Town, Chicago Chapter Alumni Facebook page
Lipscomb
North Florida
USC Upstate
Kennesaw State
Jacksonville
NJIT
Stetson

Big 12

Kansas, Crossing, Kincade’s, Lottie’s, or Toons
Baylor
West Virginia
Iowa State, Murphy's Bleachers
Oklahoma State
Kansas State
TCU
Texas Tech, Kelsey’s, Texas Tech Raiders fans
Oklahoma, Barn and Company, OU Club of Chicago
Texas, Stanley's Kitchen and Tap is a Longhorns bar

Big East

Villanova, alumnae [age, cheer on the Wildcats at Derby, Facebook page
Butler, Gaslight, Butler Bulldogs fans
Creighton, District, alumni Chicago Facebook group
Seton Hall
Marquette, Commonwealth
Providence
Xavier, Merkle's
St. John's
Georgetown
DePaul

Big Sky

North Dakota
Eastern Washington
Weber State
Idaho
Montana
Montana State
Sacramento State
Portland State
Northern Colorado
Northern Arizona
Southern Utah
Idaho State

Big South

Winthrop
UNC Asheville
Liberty
Gardner-Webb
High Point
Radford
Campbell
Charleston Southern
Longwood
Presbyterian

Big Ten

Purdue, Boilermakers should head to Fireplace Inn or Red Ivy
Wisconsin, Will's Northwoods Inn, Lotties, Monty Gaels, and State
Maryland, Terrapins fans head to Dark Horse Tap & Grill
Minnesota
Michigan, Diag Bar & Grill, Lake View, WestEnd, Rockit Bar & Grill and Rockit Burger Bar, Whiskey Business Wicker Park
Northwestern, Timothy O’Toole’s, Streeterville
Iowa, Theory or Four Shadows.
Michigan State, Chicago Spartans alumni site lists official Spartan bars like Wild Goose, Corcoran’s, Crossroads, El Hefe, The Hidden Shamrock, Mad River Bar and Grille, Mystic Celt, Tin Lizzie, The Stretch, Old Crow Sokehouse, Higgins Tavern, Lion Head Pub, Sedgwicks, Avenue Tavern, Hopsmith Tavern and Municipal are Spartans bars. Chicago Spartans Facebook group
Illinois
Ohio State, Cheesie's Wicker Park
Indiana, Flagship, Sluggers, Prost! or Joe’s on Weed for Hoosiers fans
Penn State
Nebraska, Rockwood Place
Rutgers

Big West

UC Irvine
UC Davis
Cal State Fullerton
Long Beach State
Hawaii
Cal State Northridge
Cal Poly
UC Riverside
UC Santa Barbara

Colonial Athletic

North Carolina Wilmington, UNC Wilmington alumni and Facebook pages for Seahawks meetups
Charleston
Towson
Elon
William & Mary
Northeastern
Hofstra
James Madison
Delaware
Drexel

Conference USA

Middle TN
Louisiana Tech
Old Dominion
UTEP
Rice
Marshall
UAB
Western KY
UTSA
Charlotte
Florida Atlantic
Southern Miss
Florida International
North Texas

Horizon

Oakland
Valparaiso
Northern KY
Green Bay
Wright State
Illinois-Chicago
Detroit
Youngstown State
Cleveland State
Milwaukee

Ivy League

Princeton
Harvard
Yale
Pennsylvania
Columbia
Brown
Cornell
Dartmouth

Metro Atlantic Athletic

Monmouth
St. Peter's
Iona
Siena
Fairfield
Rider
Canisius
Quinnipac
Niagara
Manhattan
Marist

Mid-American

East

Akron
Ohio
Buffalo, Buffalo Bulls Chicago Facebook page and alumni site article
Kent State
Bowling Green
Miami (OH)

West

Ball State
Western Michigan
Toledo
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Central Michigan

Mid-Eastern

North Carolina Central
Norfolk State
Morgan State
Hampton
Savannah State
Maryland-Eastern Shore
South Carolina State
Delaware State
Coppin State
Bethune-Cookman
Howard
Florida A&M
North Carolina A&T

Missouri Valley

Wichita State
Illinois State
Southern Illinois
Northern iowa
Loyola
Missouri State
Bradley
Evansville
Indiana State
Drake

Mountain West

Nevada
Colorado State
Boise State
Fresno State, Fresno State Bulldogs alumni page
New Mexico
San Diego State
Wyoming
San Jose State
Utah State
Air Force
UNLV

Northeast

Mount St. Mary's
LIU Brooklyn
Wagner
St. Francis PA
Robert Morris
Bryant University
Fairleigh Dickenson
Sacred Heart
Central Connecticut State
St. Francis BKN

Ohio Valley