March Madness Hosting Ideas and Tips to save money 2023

If your husband, wife, or friends love March Madness like my husband, you might expect a crowd at your house starting March 14th. We have put together some tips to save you money, time and make it less stressful for you to host the big tournament watch party. 

Here is how to take the “Madness” out of hosting March Madness: 

• Make cleanup really easy by covering your table with kraft paper or wrapping paper. Use what you have or go to the Dollar Store.
• Use one crock pot to serve 2 dips! That’s right, all you need is heavy-duty alumni foil and form a wall to create 2 areas for dips within your crockpot. Make sure to use crockpot liners if you do this. You are using foil to cut your crockpot in half make. This makes it easier to serve 2 foods at once and saves room on your table, and using the liner makes it easier to clean. 
• Don’t put your chips into bowls. Make the chip bag into a bowl; just by rolling the top of the bag and poking the bottom corners of the bag, so it stands up on its own. This will save on cleanup and dishes.
• Click HERE to see how you can Stream March Madness for FREE or at a Discount. 
• Come up with some fun halftime entertainment:
  • Play Left Right Center
  • Corn Hole or any games you might already have at home
• Best places to buy your alcohol:
  • Sams Club or Costco. Most employees don’t even realize you don’t have to be a member to buy alcohol, so don’t be surprised if they have to talk to their manager. 
  • Get your alcohol at Grove Retail Liquor at 9983 E. Kellogg Ave. Wichita, KS 67207. They have some of the best prices in Wichita. 
• Serve stadium food! These foods are usually less expensive and easy to serve. Make your gathering authentic, like you are in the stands. 
  • Hot Dogs
  • Popcorn
  • Hot wings
  • Nachos
  • Sliders
• Suppose you don’t want to do hearty food and more snacks. Aldi Wichita has the best dips, chips, and snacks for the best prices.
  • 8011 E. Kellogg Ave
  • 2826 S Seneca St.
  • 2323 N Amidon
  • 765 N Maize Rd.
  • 6835 E 21 St N.
  • 1719 N Rock Road, Derby 
• Click HERE for our Amazon recommendations to take your party up a notch. 
• Have Basketball looking foods:
  • Buy a non-toxic sharpie to turn oranges or cuties into little basketballs. Just draw on the black “stitching” lines onto the oranges. Super cute and easy!
  • Buy Cheese balls. They look like mini basketballs. 
• Create a basketball-themed playlist from your favorite music app. 
• Play March Madness Would you Rather?
  • Go to the game or watch it at home?
  • Be a coach or a referee?
  • Have KU, KSU, or WSU in the Final Four? 
  • Would you rather your team win by 20 or have it be a close, exciting game but still win?
  • Be able to dunk or be the best 3-point shooter on the team?
  • Do you like to watch College basketball or NBA?
  • Eat nachos or popcorn?
  • Play offense or defense?
  • Be the mascot or a cheerleader?
• Click HERE to see Restaurant Food Deals during March Madness. 
• Impress your guests with these Fun Facts:
  • Only one bottom seed has ever unseated a top seed in the first round. 
  • The lowest seed ever to win the tournament was the #8-ranked Villanova.
  • 2008 has been the only year all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four.
  • 1939 was the inaugural year of the NCAA tournament. Eight teams competed for the title.
  • The phrase “March Madness” was first coined in connection with the NCAA in 1982 when sportscaster Brent Musburger uttered it during his tournament coverage.
  • The oldest coach to win a national title was Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun in 2011 at the age of 68. 
  • Only one coach has ever won both championships in the NCAA and NBA—Larry Brown as coach of the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988 (NCAA) and the Detroit Pistons in 2004 (NBA)
  •  In 1997, the NCAA made it a requirement that the Final Four must be held in a dome stadium with a seating capacity of at least 40,000. In 2009, the capacity minimum was raised to 70,000

Click HERE to see March Madness Food Deals and Tips.

Click HERE to see how to Stream March Madness for FREE or at a Discount.