For the tenth time, the tenth year in a row, we’re here with The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide for anyone that gets left behind when the big tournament starts!

This year, the fun starts with Selection Sunday on March 17, with First Four games going Tuesday and Wednesday, and big bracket games tipping off on Thursday, March 21 and the National Championship game scheduled for Monday, April 8.

68 teams will find out who they’re up against, what teams are in their path, and chart their journey to Minneapolis for the Final Four.

Selection Sunday also gives millions of people all over the world the chance to start planning for their bracket challenges. Studying, fact-finding, video reviews, expert analysis, and gut feelings will all come into play when brackets start getting filled out and winners get picked.

If all of this sounds familiar because your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife loves the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball tournament, it’s okay. Being left behind, ignored, and feeling lonely may mean you are suffering from March Madness Widow Syndrome, and we’re here to help.

Check out this list of five suggestions to get you through the three weeks of ball games and bad bets. We highly recommend that you lean on music to get you through, love it as much as your partner loves basketball, and have some fun with it.

Ready? Let’s go!

1) Dig and Dive For Vinyl

Vinyl’s made a big comeback, and whether you’ve already built a huge collection of classics and modern favourites, or you’ve just decided that you want to get started – there are always more albums to buy.

So, use your March alone time to hit flea markets, thrift stores, and browse buy/sell/trade groups online to see what’s out there that you want and need. Look around, dig deep, flip through stacks and boxes, and get some great deals on music you love and can’t wait to spin.

Good luck!

2) Plan For The Summer Concert Season

Festival season is coming, outdoor stage season is coming, big tours have been announced, and now it’s time for you to choose who you’re going to see live.

Pick a genre and start looking at the concerts and festivals that are near you. Decide if you want to camp. Find friends that want to dance and sing along with you. Mark the dates on your calendar and get ready to have a whole lot of fun.

Note: Remember to book the days off work that you need. And if you can, try to take the Monday off after a big weekend festival. It’s 100% worth it.

3) Enter Contests

Contests through social media, artist websites, and email signups are a great way to win contest tickets, merch, and other awesome swag and opportunities.

Keep your eyes open for contest opportunities and don’t be afraid to enter every one of them. You can’t win if you don’t play. And if you do win, yay for you!

And here’s a tip: Put together a small group of family and friends to contest with. Most concert and festival contests offer two or four tickets. So if you know who you’d take with you, get them to enter too so you have multiple chances to get those tickets!

4) Celebrate Female Artists

We know that women aren’t played as much as men on the radio. We know that women aren’t included at a proportional basis on streaming site playlists. We know that women aren’t booked at the same rate as men on the festival circuit. But we also know that women are making awesome music across all genres.

You love hip hop and rap? There are women making great tracks.

You love pop and rock? You can find women making waves and great records.

You love country and folk? Women are changing the game and earning big-time praise.

Check out new music lists. Ask your friends for recommendations. Heck, tweet at your favourite male artists and ask them to recommend their favourite female artists to you. Give women a chance, they’ll show you what they’ve got!

Note: Let’s be straight about something here. We’re not calling for a boycott of male artists. We’re not saying you shouldn’t’ listen to and enjoy the music of men. We’re simply saying that the women making great music deserve to be heard too, and that means extra effort based on the current system.

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5) Play Along

For the last 10 years we’ve been telling you that playing along with your significant other during March Madness can be a lot of fun. And we’re not about to stop now.

Fill out a bracket and cheer along. Pick the same teams as your S/O and cheer with them. Or pick against every single one of their bets and cheer against them. Pick based on nicknames or colours or cities or mascots. Pick however you want!

Remember too that there are a lot of side benefits to playing along with March Madness. There are the snacks, the sitting on a comfortable couch, the excitement and adrenaline that tight games bring, and the chance at winning and proving that you make good bets.

And if you need more ideas, have a look back at the first nine years of March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guides.

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide – 2010

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 2.0 – 2011

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 3.0 – 2012

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 4.0 – 2013

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 5.0 – 2014

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 6.0 – 2015

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 7.0 – 2016

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 8.0 – 2017

The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 9.0 – 2018

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Joshua Murray

creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.