Why March Madness is known as ‘The Big Dance’

Here’s the story.

You’ll hear a lot about dancing on Sunday, with both the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments getting seeded as we prepare for their respective NCAA tournaments… or, the Big Dance.

But if you’re stopping to wonder where that nickname came from, we have an answer for you (we also have a great explainer for why upset teams are called “Cinderella”).

Per a story from ESPN.com back in 2010: In 1977, Marquette coach Al McGuire was asked if he would be wearing a lucky blazer while coaching in the upcoming NCAA men’s tournament.

His reply?

“Absolutely,” he said. “You gotta wear the blue blazer when you go to the big dance.”

There you have it. The kicker: McGuire and Marquette won a national title that year.

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