Michigan Woman Wins $100,000 First Prize In BetMGM Bracket Challenge

Written By Matt Schoch on April 7, 2021 - Last Updated on December 7, 2023
NCAA Bracket Contest Winner

The Michigan and Michigan State men’s basketball teams couldn’t deliver an NCAA championship for sports fans here.

But 50 games did go the right way for one Michigan sports bettor this spring, as a 34-year-old Michigan woman became a $100,000 NCAA bracket contest winner through a free national BetMGM pool.

The player, identified as “Rosa C.” by BetMGM, got 50 of the games right on her March Matchups bracket. The contest did not include the First Four round, so there were 63 games to pick.

A $2 million prize was offered for anyone with a perfect bracket, but the odds of pulling off that feat are extremely unlikely, as most of us already know.

The $100,000 first prize would have been split for ties, but Rosa C. became an NCAA bracket contest winner all on her own.

Strong picks in a strange March Madness

This year’s March Madness event saw the highest cumulative seeding total reach the Sweet 16, with double-digit seeds UCLA, Syracuse, Oregon State and Oral Roberts all finding their way to the second weekend. Sportsbooks were commenting about a strong opening weekend against public sentiment and selections.

Their biggest liabilities were Michigan, which fell to the Bruins in the Elite Eight, and Gonzaga, which came up one win short of a perfect season by losing to national champion Baylor. A BetMGM spokesperson clarified Tuesday that Gonzaga was the book’s largest liability over the course of the season.

So in a tournament that generally went the direction of the oddsmakers, it’s notable to find a player who want able to rack up 50 straight-up wins over the course of the three-week tournament.

Surviving the upsets and thriving under those unpredictable conditions is well worth the pride all its own. That $100,000 comes with it is a bonus that will make that bracket worth a special picture frame and then some.

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Matt Schoch

A Michigan native, Matt has worked at newspapers in Michigan, Missouri and the Virgin Islands. A versatile sports reporter, Matt has covered sailing on the Great Lakes, cricket in the Caribbean, high school and pro playoffs, and the Olympics in Rio. He's also the former host of the Locked On Pistons Podcast and producer of a documentary on Emoni Bates. A former blackjack dealer, Matt has studied the industry from all sides.

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