It’s that time of year again, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is here and it’s going to be full-on March Madness from March 13 to April 4, 2022.

If you’ve got a partner that loves the tournament, there’s a chance that you will experience what we have come to call March Madness Widow(er) Syndrome. It happens when the games keep coming one after each other, there are multiple screens going on, brackets are being busted, and your S/O is so involved they aren’t actively participating in your relationship or maybe even their own day-to-day needs.

If any of that sounds familiar, we want to help you out. So, for the 12th time, we’ve got a list of things that you can dive into yourself while they are rooting against Duke.

First though, the schedule so you know when your partner is most likely to be immersed in college basketball action.

🏀 Selection Sunday – Sunday, March 13, 2022
🏀 First Four – Tuesday, March 15 and Wednesday, March 16, 2022
🏀 NCAA Tournament Round 1 – Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18, 2022
🏀 NCAA Tournament Round 2 – Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, 2022
🏀 Sweet 16 – Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, 2022
🏀 Elite 8 – Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, 2022
🏀 Final Four – Saturday, April 2, 2022
🏀 2022 NCAA Championship Game – Monday, April 4, 2022

And now, dive into our list of 5 suggestions for music-lovers so you can stay busy and excited and involved in things you love during March Madness.

1) Plan Your Concerts and Festivals

Live music is back, baby! And if you’re feeling comfortable enough to head to an arena, a concert hall, or an outdoor venue, it’s really time to start your planning and ticket purchasing.

There are going to be a lot of shows you’ll want to see, from small acts at local venues to big stars at the biggest shows, so take your time, make a spreadsheet, talk to friends to see if they want to come with you (it’s okay to go alone though!) and start making those tough decisions.

We believe in you, you can do it!

2) Shop For Merch

Everyone loves band t-shirts and hats and even socks (yes, I once bought Foo Fighters socks from the merch booth at a concert) and now is the time for you to find something new to add to your wardrobe.

There are some shopping options out there for you.

☆ Official artist’s websites. When you buy from the artists, you’re giving more direct support to the artist and their team. You’re also getting access to the newest drops so you can have that brand new, “I love this artist” look.

☆ Second-hand shopping and vintage shopping is also on the table. Hit up your local Value Village or Goodwill and sift through the racks of your size and 1 size bigger to see what gems have been dropped off. You never know what tour shirts or special releases you’ll find. Recently I picked up a Taylor Swift x Stella McCartney tee from the Lover album.

☆ You can also find licensed gear from retail outlets like Old Navy, Giant Tiger, Bluenotes, and a long list of other stores. Check ‘em out if you’re out doing other shopping and maybe you’ll find a t-shirt, hoodie, or something else that catches your eye.

Here’s hoping you find something cool!

3) Discover New Music

Streaming services do a good job these days of making playlists that offer brand new releases. Fridays are the best days to check ‘em all out but don’t sleep on mid-week releases so you can be among the first to hear new songs.

Keep an eye on your social media feeds too, because when new music drops that people are loving, they’re going to talk about it.

There are three Fridays during this year’s NCAA tournament, so you’re going to have a chance to listen to a bunch of new songs while your S/O is on the couch staring at the games.

Grab your headphones and go to town!

4) Listen To The Radio

Speaking of discovering new music, good old fashioned radio stations are still a good way to go too. Yes, we’ve become a playlist people, curated by streaming services or shuffled from our favourites, but that doesn’t give us DJs with news or info or jokes. And it doesn’t always give us the new stuff or the old jam you forgot you loved because you can’t remember the last time you heard it.

There are also some really great people in radio who work hard every day, and we’re lucky to know a bunch of them, so we’re always happy to tell you to give radio a listen.

If you’re not in the car a lot, or you don’t have an AM/FM radio kicking around, try asking your smart speaker to play your favourite radio station for you. Or, pull up the website of the station you want to hear, and hit the player button. Enjoy!

5) Play Along

I’ve said it since 2010 and I’ll say it again now in 2022: Play Along!

You don’t have to watch as many games as your partner to get involved. Fill out your bracket, spend 15 minutes reading a couple of articles to choose your underdog and tournament favourite picks, and cheer along. Heck, you can make your picks based on website rankings, school name, mascot, colours, player names, anything you want. Just go for it and have some fun!

Remember though, please don’t make too much fun of your S/O if their favourite team gets knocked out, especially in an early-round upset – that can be a hard pill to swallow without teasing added in.

And if you need more ideas, have a look back at the first 11 editions of the March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide!

2010 🏀 The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2019 🏀 The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 10!

2021 🏀 The March Madness Widow(er) Survival Guide 11!

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Joshua Murray

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