With the recent announcement that the men's and women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments will expand to 76-team fields, and as college softball's postseason kicks off with baseball's Selection Monday just around the corner, it's the perfect time to reflect on the many ways collegiate sports crown their champions. From football to basketball to soccer, each postseason brings its own unique flavor—and plenty of debate among fans.

Let's start with college football. The postseason landscape here is vast, featuring dozens of bowl games alongside the 12-team playoff. But let's be honest: aside from fans of perennial top-12 contenders, these bowl games often feel like glorified exhibitions. The playoff format limits upset potential, and every attempt to build suspense around who makes the cut has only led to blatantly unfair treatment of deserving teams. It's hard to call this anyone's favorite when the drama is so diluted.

Then there's March Madness—the gold standard of postseason excitement. In both the men's and women's tournaments, we're treated to 64 games over two opening weekends. There's nothing quite like that chaos. Single-elimination basketball turns every possession into a heart-stopping moment, giving us unforgettable stories: monumental upsets, Cinderella runs, teams of destiny, redemption arcs, and sheer dominance. Sure, UNC fans might be biased—many of our most cherished sports memories come from winning this tournament—but the format itself is a recipe for drama.

One interesting factor is the playing surface. In the men's tournament, every game is at a technically neutral site. Higher seeds may play closer to home based on their region, but no one gets a true home-court advantage. The women's tournament is different: top-four seeds host the first two rounds before moving to neutral sites for the Sweet 16 and beyond. This setup can shift the momentum significantly.

Even college soccer follows a similar bracket structure, with the women's tournament featuring 64 teams and the men's 48. Higher seeds host individual matches, adding another layer of home-field advantage. Each sport's postseason has its own rhythm, and whether you love the chaos of basketball or the strategic buildup of football, there's something for every fan to cheer for.