NCAA BASKETBALL 2026 — March Madness Survivor Pools

March Madness Survivor Pools

March Madness Survivor offers a different way to enjoy the tournament. Instead of predicting the whole tournament bracket in one sitting and then potentially watching your bracket go up in flames by the time the opening weekend has concluded, you pick teams period by period as the tournament unfolds — to win, to lose, or cover the spread — and you survive as long as your picks keep coming through.

The tournament's format means team usage works differently from a season-long pool. Teams are eliminated constantly, so the available board shrinks every round, and a team you were saving may simply not exist by the time you wanted them. Picking against the spread is supported, which changes the calculus on the heavy early-round favourites.

How to set up a March Madness Survivor pool

1. Choose your pick rulePick teams to win, to lose, or against the spread.
2. Set the period structurePools can be configured to make picks by day, by rounds, or a combination of the two. That structure is up to the pool's Commissioner.
3. Set lives and entriesThe pool's Commissioner can configure a pool to eliminate entries with a single loss, or permit revivals. March Madness Survivor pools also support multiple entries.
4. Invite everyone before the first roundResults and eliminations resolve automatically from live scoring.

Create your March Madness Survivor pool — free to set up. Payment is due only after your game has kicked off and you are certain ALA's software can provide you with everything you need.

Frequently asked questions

How is a March Madness Survivor pool different from a bracket pool?

A bracket is filled out once before the tournament starts and requires no ongoing maintenance from there. A Survivor pool has you pick teams round by round (or, day by day) as the tournament plays out, so you are making live decisions with real information rather than guessing in advance.

Can entrants pick against the spread?

Yes. Picks can be made for straight-up winners, straight up LOSERS, or against the spread. ATS pools make for a different strategic challenge compared to straight-up pools.

What happens if an entrant has no remaining teams for use?

This is the central tension of the format. Unlike a season-long pool where every team plays every week, the tournament board shrinks constantly, so saving a team for a later round is a real risk rather than a free option. If the only remaining teams have all been used by an entrant, they will have no available picks to make, and they will be eliminated in the subsequent period.

Can I run multiple entries?

Yes. Multiple entries per person are common in tournament pools precisely because a single entry can be eliminated on the first day.

New to survivor? Read survivor pool rules, explained, or how to run a survivor pool if you're the commissioner. Compare every format in survivor vs pick'em vs confidence, or look up a term in the sports pool glossary.