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Gronk Makes Perfectly Clear March Madness Wager

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Anthony Goss | Last updated Mar 19, 2025 3:44 PM ET

One of the most captivating sporting events takes center stage in the coming days as the First Rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments tip off this weekend. The two-week spectacle, otherwise known as "March Madness" draws in a wide audience outside the college basketball world.

The craze of brackets, upsets and the rest drives in fans for the games themselves, but the emergence of sports betting in recent years has heightened that attention to a greater extent.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is among those getting in on the fun. Following the announcement of the men's bracket on Sunday, Gronkowski shared some of his picks.

Gronkowski published a bet slip created on FanDuel, predicting a "Sweet 16" appearance for Maryland and his alma mater Arizona to the "Elite 8."

Those picks come in support of the football programs of both schools that have connection to the Gronkowski family. Rob played at Arizona from 2007 to 2009 before the Patriots selected him in the 2010 NFL Draft.

His brother Dan played at Maryland from 2005 to 2008. Rob had the most fortunate run in the pros, putting together a Hall of Fame career and retiring as one of the best to ever play his position. That career consisted of a Super Bowl run with the Bucs in his twilight years.

As for the hope for his picks, Maryland holds a No. 4 seed and will face No. 13 Grand Canyon on Friday. Arizona also has a No. 4 seed and takes on No. 13 Akron on the same day.

The Terrapins are favored to reach the second weekend while the Wildcats have a tough road ahead, presumably facing No. 1 Duke on the way to the regional final.

With the spontaneity of the tournament, Gronkowski's picks could be completely right or be scratched after one day. That excitement will be what draws him and others into the event through the coming days.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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