The biggest surprises of March Madness opening weekend
The opening weekend of March Madness brought some big surprises, with underdogs advancing and higher seeds facing early challenges.
March Madness is well underway, and fans may be looking for the perfect halftime snack.
The NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments run through Monday, April 6, and several national restaurant chains are offering basketball-centric meals and giveaways. Insomnia Cookies, Nars and Wendy’s are also hosting dunk-worthy sweepstakes leading up to the tournament. Not to be outdone, Pizza Hut has released Space Jam-inspired merchandise, including letterman jackets and warm-up jerseys.
Are you hungry? Here are 15+ meal and food deals available during March Madness.
7 eleven
7-Eleven is offering three March Madness deals for 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members.
- Buy one, get one boneless wing for $3 (available through April 28th)
- Dankable $36 meal sale: 8 breaded tenders, 16 meaty wings, 16 golden potato wedges or crispy onion rings, and 4 dipping sauces (available at Raise the Roost locations through April 28)
- Buy a whole pizza and get $50 off (available through April 6th when ordered through the 7NOW Delivery mobile app)
Auntie Anne
Auntie Anne’s will be offering limited edition basketball buckets for the tournament. Customers can choose from three nugget options: Original Pretzel Nuggets, Cinnamon Sugar Nuggets, Pepperoni Nuggets and Mini Pretzel Dogs, according to a news release. Dips include cheese, hot salsa, sweet glaze, honey mustard, caramel, cream cheese, and marinara.
Casey’s
According to the Casey’s website, every Thursday through Sunday through April 6, Casey’s is offering 40% off all large pizzas using promo code “SAVE40.”
checkers & rallies
Checkers and Rally’s are offering $5 meal combos for March Madness. The Spicy Chicken Flatbread Combo and Bacon Burger Flatbread Combo are both priced at $5 and include a sandwich, side, drink and apple pie, according to a news release. The meal sale is available until May 2nd.
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen has partnered with New Orleans Pelicans center Derrick Queen to launch the DQ Bracket Buster Deal. Available at participating locations until April 12, customers who order a Dairy Queen Chicken Strip Party Platter through the DQ mobile app will receive a free box of Buster Bars, according to a Dairy Queen news release.
dave & busters
Dave & Buster’s will offer 20 wings for $20 on April 7, and all draft beers for $5, according to the restaurant and arcade’s website.
domino pizza
Domino’s Pizza will be offering pizzas with any toppings for $10 each until March Madness finale on April 6, according to the chain’s website.
fire department submarine
Through Sunday, March 29th, Firehouse Subs is offering a Full Court Feast meal deal for Firehouse Loyalty members. According to the Firehouse Subs website, the meal includes two medium-sized subs, two bags of potato chips, and two small drinks for $16. The Full Court lineup includes customer favorites like Hook & Ladder, Italian, Smoked Turkey, Provolone, Meatballs, and more.
grab hub
Distribution platform Grubhub is offering several deals from various chains throughout March Madness. This is shown below.
- Little Caesars: Free ExtraMostBest Pizza on orders over $50 (available through April 30th)
- Wendy’s: Get a free Dave’s single on orders over $20 (available March 4-6)
- Taco Bell: Free Chicken or Cheese Quesadilla with Orders of $22 or More (Available March 27-29), Free 5-Layer Beef Burrito with Orders of $22 or More (Available April 4), Free Regular Nacho Fries with any Taco Purchase on Orders of $20 or More (Available April 6)
- Kentucky Fried Chicken: $5 off orders of $15 or more (available March 26-31) and $5 off orders of $15 or more (available April 3-7)
- Buffalo Wild Wings: $15 off orders over $50 (available March 24th – April 6th)
Grubhub will also waive delivery and service fees on orders over $50, according to the food delivery service.
Hardy’s
In time for March Madness, Hardee’s has launched Second Breakfast Insurance. Available until March 31, guests can post past receipts or photos of their “sad, unsatisfying breakfast” on the Hardee’s website, and the chain will offer them a free Frisco Breakfast Burger Combo.
insomnia cookies
Insomnia Cookies will be hosting a March Madness sweepstakes on April 4th that will send two people to Indianapolis for the final weekend of the tournament. As set forth in the Official Sweepstakes Rules, the prize package includes:
- A $750 travel allowance will be provided via check or electronic payment.
- The two fan experience packages include a four-night stay at a downtown Indianapolis hotel, two tickets to the April 4 NCAA Men’s Final Four game, and two tickets to the April 6 NCAA Men’s Championship Game.
- Two Swag Kits from Insomnia Cookies. Includes branded accessories and apparel.
- Two $100 Insomnia Cookie Gift Cards.
To enter, customers must sign up for Insomnia Rewards and fill out the entry form on the Insomnia Cookies Bracket website by March 20th. Two potential winners will be selected on or about March 30th.
kentucky fried chicken
Kentucky Fried Chicken will be offering 20 wings for $20 during March Madness, according to a KFC news release.
krispy kreme
Krispy Kreme has created two new donuts for March Madness:
- basketball donut: Unglazed shell donuts filled with fluffy white cream are dipped in bright orange vanilla-flavored icing and finished with basketball lines of chocolate icing.
- Basketball net donut: An original glazed donut is dipped in chocolate icing and finished off with vanilla-flavored icing sprinkled along the lines of a basketball net.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Moe’s Southwest Grill will offer $5 off on online orders of $20 or more from March 26 to March 29, according to a news release. This deal is available for online orders only.
Otaku
Through April 7, March Madness and Nerds fans can enter to win a free bag of Nerds gummy clusters. To enter the Nerds Sweet Defeat Sweepstakes, an Instagram user must comment another user’s handle in the comments of the Sweepstakes Instagram post. Instagram users can only enter once.
Per the Official Sweepstakes Rules, one hundred (100) winners will be selected for the Sweepstakes and each winner will receive five (5) 8oz Nerd Gummy Cluster Packs.
pizza hut
To commemorate the tournament, Pizza Hut is collaborating with Space Jam to release the Space Jam x Triple Treat Box. The meal includes two medium one-topping pizzas, breadsticks and cinnamon sticks for $22 and is served in a signature “Space Jam” box. Treat boxes can be ordered through the Pizza Hut website or the Pizza Hut mobile app.
Pizza Hut Rewards members will also have exclusive free access to Space Jam-themed merchandise, including letterman jackets, warm-up jackets and jerseys, according to a Pizza Hut news release.
Through Pizza Hut’s mobile app, Rewards members will also have the chance to win a year’s worth of free pizzas by playing digital games inspired by Space Jam. 10 members will receive a Pizza Hut gift card.
red robin
Red Robin celebrates March Madness with a unique gourmet burger showdown. Each week of the tournament, select burgers will be available for $12.
- March 25th to 31st: Whiskey River BBQ Burger
- April 1st to 7th: Smash avocado & bacon burger
- April 8th to 14th: Banzai burger
According to Red Robin’s website, the $12 deal is available in-person when customers mention the MVP Burger lineup to their servers, and online by using the promo code MVBBGR.
shake shack
Through April 1st, Shake Shack is offering a free Chicken Shack or Chicken Shack Lettuce Wrap with orders of $10 or more, according to the Shake Shack website. This deal is available for pickup in person, delivery, or via Shake Shack’s mobile app or website.
wendy’s
Wendy’s features the “OG” Dunk combination, a classic Frosty and a side of fries, on its official Dunk menu. The menu also includes six-piece nuggets (crispy or spicy) and three-piece tenders, sold separately.
According to a Wendy’s news release, the fast-food chain is hosting “Dunk Stakes” during March Madness, offering a chance to win a $100,000 grand prize as well as prizes such as custom Dunk-inspired sneakers and a Wendy’s gift card. Customers who make purchases through the Wendy’s mobile app can enter the sweepstakes, which ends on April 6, according to the release.
On April 7th, participating Wendy’s restaurants will offer free small fries and a small chocolate or vanilla frosty. This benefit is only available on restaurant orders.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
