As the March Madness tournament begins, a recent survey reveals that 19% of respondents plan to participate in an NCAA basketball tournament pool this year. Conducted among 1,848 U.S. users from March 1 to March 13, 2025, the survey highlights intriguing demographic insights into who is joining the excitement.
Unsurprisingly, men are more likely to participate, with 62% of respondents planning to participate being male, compared to 45% of those who will not. Women, on the other hand, make up 38% of the pool participants, while they constitute 55% of the non-participants. This gender disparity underscores a familiar trend in sports-related activities.
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Age also plays a significant role in participation. But it’s not just the younger adults who are participating this year. Data show the largest group of pool participants falls within the 55-64 age range, accounting for 18%, slightly outpacing young Gen Z adults aged 18-24 and respondents aged 35-44.
Income levels further differentiate participants. Among those joining the pool, 18% earn between $50,000 and $75,000, while 14% earn less than $30,000. Conversely, 26% of non-participants fall into the lowest income bracket, suggesting financial considerations may influence participation.
Parental status reveals another layer of insight. Parents make up 39% of those participating, compared to 31% of non-participants. This suggests that family dynamics might play a role in the decision to engage in tournament pools, perhaps serving as a source of connection to the family as a whole.
Living area data reveals that 40% of participants reside in suburbs, closely mirroring the 44% of non-participants. However, city dwellers are more likely to join, with 29% participating compared to 20% of non-participants.
These findings paint a detailed picture of NCAA pool participants, highlighting the influence of gender, age, and income. The data is clear, there are some unsurprising stats in the men are most likely to be a tournament pool participant. But March Madness pools aren’t just a young person’s game as Americans between 55 and 64 say they’re likely to partake this year, which could make for an interesting dynamic in the March Madness audience as the tournament unfolds.
This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights. Our AI content creation tool, DataScribe, supported the article.
