Sports in March are all about college basketball's March Madness, NBA and NHL teams making their final push to clinch a playoff spot, and spring training for MLB. 2020: The NCAA men's basketball tournament was canceled over concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the first abandonment of March Madness since it began in 1939. March Madness is one of the most popular sports tournaments, and March 12 marked the beginning of the sporting world shutting down.