With March underway and spring break right around the corner, everybody is wanting to get into a pool. And I’m definitely not talking about Garrett Natatorium – I’m talking about college basketball tournament pools.

In fact, these basketball pools are very different than the natatorium.

First, college students actually use the college basketball pools. Although it is only a few days into March, I’m sure everyone has already been asked to participate in some pool or another for the upcoming college basketball tournament.

Pools are created between coworkers, peers, organization members, friends, families and now even Facebook friends halfway across the country. These pools are becoming so prevalent that “March Madness” could be renamed “Pool Madness.” But along with all of the madness comes a lot of fun, which brings me to difference number two.

College basketball pools are fun. Unlike the natatorium, friends actually get together to use them and have fun doing so. Friends get together to fill out brackets, watch games and just hang out.

And while participating in the basketball pools, you get to watch strong, athletic men, and not risk seeing nude, elderly folks.

Another big difference is college students actually care about basketball pools. Okay, some students do care about the natatorium, but lots of people care about basketball pools for an entire month every year.

Every year people across the nation get caught up in the madness as they follow the games and check their brackets to see how they are doing. The pools become the topic of all conversations and a month-long obsession.

Participating in basketball pools can even turn people who would normally not pay any attention to the basketball tournaments into people who religiously check the scores of every game.

And the final difference – you get something for your money. Garrett Natatorium is seen by some as a water hole full of Washburn’s wasted money, while basketball pools give people the chance to win bragging rights over their friends and even money or prizes.

People used to have to put money into pools in order to win, but now there are even ways to win without any risk at all.

For example, the leading participants in the free Facebook Pool can win prizes after each round of the tournament and at the end of the tournament, they can win prizes of up to $25,000.

So pick teams based on their colors, mascot or just flip a coin. It doesn’t matter how you pick the teams in your bracket, but do it anyway. And soon the madness will get you too, and you will be checking the scores and the pool leaders everyday.