About.com is Mad About March; Online NCAA Tournament Special

Updates, opinions and features from a team of About.com Sports Channel Guides Plus, a free NCAA tournament bracket challenge

INDIANAPOLIS--(BW SportsWire via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--March 9, 2000--Whether you are a die-hard college basketball fan or a newcomer to the sport, About.com`s latest Sport Channel special, ''Mad About March,'' offers a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament frenzy, before the players hit the court on March 16th. This online package features original articles from a team of About.com Sports Guides, updated daily throughout the tournament, providing insight on the game from the bleachers to the backboard. Topics range from questionable referee calls to NCAA trivia to the women`s college basketball scene.

If you are ready to get ''Mad About March'' at About.com, the URL is: http://specials.about.com/channels/sports/mam/index.htm

A major About.com ''Mad About March'' highlight is The Bracket Challenge, a fantasy game contest, with a $1500 cash prize. Entrance is completely free and contestants can sign-up right until tip-off.

The contest lets fans:

- Test their expertise in the game.
- Create their own personal game pages.
- Check their results with weekly e-mails.
- Form private ''Mad About March'' groups, so friends can compete directly with each other.
- Actively debate with other fans about their individual picks on a special ''Talk Trash'' feature.

The online special includes a host of other distinctive features:

- An online poll, which will be updated throughout the tournament, asks About.com sports fans ''Which conference will send the most teams to the NCAA tournament?''
- Three separate About.com sports forums allow visitors to speak their mind and share thoughts and insights on basketball and the tournament.
- Key commentary will be posted in a unique ''Share Your Thoughts'' section.

To keep sports lovers in touch with the game year-round, About.com`s ''Mad About March'' also offers direct links to subscribe to weekly About.com Sports Channel newsletters, such as College Basketball, Pro Basketball and Sports Gambling, among others.


About About.com

About.com is the leading network of niche vertical sites for users and marketers. The network includes more than 700 highly targeted environments, each overseen by a professional guide. Each vertical niche provides a comprehensive customer experience including the Internet`s best link directories, original content, community features and commerce opportunities. Media Metrix (December 1999) ranks About.com as a leading news, information and entertainment Web property in the U.S. More information on the company can be found on its Web site at http://about.com.