The great thing about the NCAA tournament is that any team in the field of 65 can win.
Theoretically, Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Southern can knock off No. 1-seed Duke on Thursday and embark on a magical run.
If only the Bowl Championship Series was this simple.
But more important than who wins, more important than who is the MVP, even more important than the massive gambling addiction the country feeds every March, is the race to cash in after a champion has been crowned.
Championship hats and shirts suddenly fill the shelves nearby. Sports Illustrated releases a special commemorative issue about the team. With a little luck, the squad can even present the president with a team jersey in Washington, D.C. – I’ll bet President Bush wears them around the house.
Then of course, there’s the ultimate attempt to earn a little dough: the tell-all book.
Here’s a glimpse of some of the titles the winners could write and could be on the shelves of the campus bookstore after this season’s tournament.
“Kes Miserables” by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“How We Got Jamal Mashburn, Antoine Walke, and Derek Anderson Eligible for the 2006 NCAA Tournament” by Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.
“How to Lose 20 Pounds and Win a Division 1 Basketball Championship” by LSU forward Glen Davis.
“Uh, We Won a Championship at Texas, Too” by Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
“We’re Not the School in Illinois” by Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy.
“Now They’ll Know How to Spell My Name” by George Washington forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
“Gambled Dreams: How Oral Roberts Won the NCAA Championship in the Wake of a 64-Team Point-Shaving Scandal” by Oral Roberts forward Caleb Green.
“We Won the Title, but You Wouldn’t Know It Because Dick Vitale Was Screaming So Loud,” by Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara
“I’m Still Not That Pittsnogle Guy” by West Virginia guard Mike Gansey.
“Landing on Your Feet” by Southern Illinois cheerleader Kristi Yamaoka.
“Dances with Wolfpacks” by North Carolina State guard Brandon Costner.
“The Ivy League: Not Just for Rowing Crew Anymore” by Pennsylvania guard Ibrahim Jaaber.
“Carry on My Wayward Sons” by Kansas coach Bill Self
“Courage Under Fire” by Indiana coach Mike Davis.
“The Greatest Mustache There Ever Was” by Gonzaga guard Adam Morrison.
“Today We Spell Redemption R-O-N” by Alabama guard Ronald Steele.
“Championship Basketball for People Who Like ‘The O.C.'” by UCLA guard Jordan Farmer.
“Hell Froze Over: The True Story of How Albany Won the 2006 NCAA Championship” by sports commentator Michael Wilbon.
“I Had the Huskies Going All the Way in My Office Pool” by former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel.
“Looks Like the University of Illinois” by “Risky Business” star Tom Cruise.
“Mission Accomplished” by Air Force coach Jeff Bzdelik.
“I Swear That Wasn’t Michael Jordan Wearing Reyshawn Terry’s Jersey” by North Carolina coach Roy Williams.
“I Had Wichita State in My Office Pool” by former baseball player Pete Rose.
“No Sweat” by Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl.
“Boss-a-NOVA” by Villanova guard Allan Ray.
“Brett Favre Is Probably Retiring, but at Least We Won a Basketball Game” by everyone in the state of Wisconsin.
“Crime and Punishment (and a Championship)” by Ohio State coach Thad Motta.
“What, Brett Favre Might Retire?” by the Wisconsin-Milwaukee team.
“Real Gamblers Pick Davidson in Their Pool” by country music singer Kenny Rogers.
Those are just some of the books that might take up space next to “The Da Vinci Code” on the bestseller list after this year’s tournament. Who knows, if Southern can make it past Duke in the first round, one might even be able to find this title:
“Dealing With Loss: The Tragic Story of How Southern Won the NCAA Tournament after 64 teams’ planes crashed in on opening day in 2006” by Southern coach Rob Spivery.
 
Elliott is a journalism and history senior.
Contact him at [email protected]