This week's Beat the Blogger contest will be made up entirely of NCAA Tournament matchups and will feature a prize package of nearly $500 worth of sports memorabilia including an authentic NBA basketball signed by the entire 2007-08 NBA Rookie class including last year's Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and other top stars such as Greg Oden, Al Horford and Rodney Stuckey, Jeff Greene and many more.

The special March Madness edition Beat The Blogger contest matchups will be posted on Tuesday (March 17). There will be 32 NCAA Tournament matchups for you to pick with the Top-10 highest scorers (plus ties) advancing to the following week. The Top-10 will then select the winners of the Sweet 16 round and the Elite 8 Round with the Top-5 (plus ties) scorers advancing to the Final Four the following week. Once we establish the Top-2 scorers from the third round, we'll toss out a new set of 10 matchups (back to typical Beat The Blogger format) with the highest total walking away with a prize package valued at nearly $500. The runner-up will receive (3) authentic signed 8-by-10 photos. Those qualifying for the second and third rounds will be notified via e-mail so if you're not qualified enjoy the extra free time and get ready for the return of the regular weekly Beat The Blogger contest April 9.

The March Madness Beat the Blogger contest will run for three weeks and the regular weekly Beat The Blogger contest will resume on the week of April 6 so make sure you among the top-scoring teams so you can keep playing each week. The contestants who advance will be posted on March 16, March 24 and April 1 with the grand prize winner announced on April 8. Good luck to everyone and make sure you spread the word about the contest to your friends. There's no easier way to win great, authentic signed sports memorabilia anywhere.

Select the first round winners. (Easiest way to make your selections is by cutting and pasting the matchups to your post and then typing in your selections in parenthesis. Use the Blogger's picks as a guide to how to make your selections.) As always, good luck and spread the word about the contest.


Beat the Blogger March Madness Edition
Midwest Bracket
Louisville vs. Play-In game winner
Ohio St. vs. Siena

Utah vs. Arizona
Wake Forest vs. Cleveland St.

West Virginia vs. Dayton
Kansas vs. N.Dakota St.

Boston College vs. USC
Michigan St. vs. Robert Morris

West Bracket
UConn vs. Chattanooga
BYU vs. Texas A&M

Purdue vs. Northern Iowa
Washington vs. Mississippi St.

Marquette vs. Utah St.
Missouri vs. Cornell

California vs. Maryland
Memphis vs. Cal. St. Northridge

East Bracket
Pittsburgh vs. E. Tennessee St.
Oklahoma St. vs. Tennessee

Florida St. vs. Wisconsin
Xavier vs. Portland St.

UCLA vs. VCU
Villanova vs. American

Texas vs. Minnesota
Duke vs. Binghamton

South Bracket
North Carolina vs. Radford
LSU vs. Butler

Illinois vs. Western Kentucky
Gonzaga vs Akron

Arizona St. vs. Temple
Syracuse vs. Steven F. Austin

Clemson vs. Michigan
Oklahoma vs. Morgan St.