(BPT) - In the world of college sports, your school’s official team colors play a powerful role in every aspect of the game. From team jerseys and mascots to lucky game day gear, team colors bring fans together and act as a beacon of pride, spirit and unity.
Make your road to the Final Four a slam dunk this season by harnessing the power of color to do game day right. Here are five tips to help you score the ultimate game day experience with flying colors, from picking your brackets to choosing the best game day decorations, along with some color commentary from ESPN’s College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas. 1. Choose your dream team with color stats You may never achieve the perfect bracket in college basketball, but you can get close. One new way to increase your odds is to look out for team colors! Team stats just released by Elias Sports Bureau and NCAA Partner LG Electronics show that teams wearing blue and red jerseys have made it to, and won, the most championship games over the last 30 years. And if you’re curious about what color teams have scored the most points during the Final Four, or which had the best defense, check out the whole list of team uniform color stats for a home court advantage when selecting your bracket this year. 2. Watch colors come to life March Madness is the perfect time to step up to your dream TV, so do game day right by watching on a screen that makes you feel like you’re courtside. “LG’s OLED TVs are stunning,” says Bilas. “They delivers perfect blacks and over 1 billion colors that make everything you watch appear truly lifelike.” “I always used to enjoy watching the game from the arena, but TVs like this one make watching it from home an unbeatable experience,” Bilas says. “When friends come over, everyone ends up with the best seat in the house thanks to the screen’s wide viewing angles, ensuring no one misses that buzzer-beating shot.” 3. Dish out some color Almost as important as the game itself is the food you serve when hosting your March Madness viewing party. Nothing goes together like good food, drinks and sports. To make your food truly unforgettable, in a good way, cook up dishes that represent a wide array of colors with vegetable platters, nachos and dips. And have some fun by choosing colors that represent your team. “While I love guacamole, I always have to represent my alma mater by pairing it with blue corn chips,” Bilas says. 4. Protect those team colors There’s nothing that puts a damper on team spirit like wearing a jersey with faded colors or food stains left over from your last tailgate. “When it comes to messy game day foods, you need the best offense to keep your team colors looking their best,” Bilas says. “Washers like LG’s TWIN Wash can run two loads at the same time, thanks to its SideKick pedestal washer, so you can always be confident your team colors won’t get tainted with that infamous red sock.” The dual wash ability is also key for families with dividing team loyalties in the household, ensuring “rivals” never have to share a load or risk competing colors bleeding into each other! 5. Dress the house in color Even the manliest guy can boost game day fun with sports memorabilia and colorful decorations. Instead of wearing that signed jersey you’re so proud of, why not hang it on the wall in the TV room? Framing old ticket stubs and championship game programs keep the memories alive and create a fun atmosphere in which to celebrate. Bring some color into the space by hanging team pennants from competing teams and asking your guests to dress in their favorite team jerseys. In celebrating March Madness this year, incorporate these fun color tips into your game day routine and you’ll be a winner all the way to the Final Four.