The 2025 NCAA Tournament, commonly known as March Madness, is a significant event for sports enthusiasts across the United States. Beyond the basketball action, the tournament period has become a prime time for restaurants and food delivery services to offer special promotions, discounts, and freebies to enhance the viewing experience for fans. This article details the food and beverage deals available during the 2025 March Madness season, focusing on offers provided by major chains and delivery platforms. The information is based on promotional announcements and news reports covering the tournament period.
Overview of March Madness Food Promotions
March Madness 2025 spanned from mid-March through early April, with the tournament's structure influencing the timing of various food promotions. Many deals were structured around specific rounds of the tournament, such as the First Four, First Round, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship games. A notable trend was the collaboration between food delivery services like Grubhub and Seamless and major restaurant chains to provide exclusive discounts and free items to customers ordering through their platforms.
The promotions covered a wide range of food categories, including pizza, chicken sandwiches, burgers, wings, coffee, and more. Several offers were available for a limited time during specific tournament windows, while others extended throughout the tournament or into early April. It is important for consumers to note that many of these deals were tied to minimum purchase requirements and specific ordering methods, such as using a restaurant's app, website, or a third-party delivery service.
Early Round Deals (First Four and First Round)
During the initial stages of the tournament, including the First Four (March 18-20) and the First Round (March 20-22), several deals were available primarily through Grubhub and Seamless. These offers were often valid for a window that extended into the following week.
- Wendy’s: Customers could receive a free Baconator with orders of $20 or more on Grubhub and Seamless. This offer was valid from March 19 through March 24.
- Little Caesars: A free Italian Cheese Bread was available with orders of $25 or more on Grubhub and Seamless, also valid from March 19 to March 24.
- Chili’s: Orders of $40 or more on Grubhub and Seamless qualified for an $8 discount, valid from March 19 to March 24.
- Wawa: Orders of $25 or more on Grubhub and Seamless received 30% off, with a maximum discount of $11. This offer was valid from March 19 to March 21.
- 7-Eleven: Orders of $25 or more on Grubhub and Seamless received 25% off, valid from March 22 to March 25.
Additionally, Applebee’s offered 50-cent boneless wings on to-go orders placed through the chain’s app or website between March 18 and March 21. This offer was limited to increments of five wings, with a maximum of 10 orders, and was not valid on third-party delivery websites.
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight Deals
As the tournament progressed to the Sweet 16 (March 27-29) and Elite Eight (March 29-31) rounds, new promotions became available, while some early-round offers continued.
- Popeyes: Customers could get a free Chicken Sandwich with orders of $15 or more on Grubhub and Seamless during the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds (March 26-29).
- Jack in the Box: Orders of $20 or more on Grubhub and Seamless received $5 off, valid from March 26 to April 1.
- Taco Bell: Orders of $15 or more on Grubhub and Seamless received $5 off, with the condition that the order included a Cantina Caliente Chicken Soft Taco. This offer was valid from March 27 to March 30.
- Starbucks: Orders of $20 or more on Grubhub and Seamless received $4 off, valid from March 26 to March 31.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: A buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal on wings with a minimum spend of $25 was available from March 29-31. Another report mentioned a BOGO wings offer when games went into overtime, though specific dates for this were not provided.
Final Four and Championship Deals
The final stages of the tournament, including the Final Four and Championship games (April 4-7), featured a new set of promotions.
- Jimmy John’s: A buy-one-get-one-free offer on items from the Regular Favorite menu was available with orders of $20 or more on Grubhub and Seamless, valid from April 4 to April 17.
- Wendy’s: Another free Baconator offer with orders of $20 or more was available on Grubhub and Seamless during this period.
- Auntie Anne’s: Rewards members could get $5 off a Basketball Bucket, a limited-time themed item.
- Marco's Pizza: An offer for 50% off all menu-priced pizzas was available on April 7.
- Casey's: Promotions included 20 wings for $20 and discounted beers.
- Yard House: The restaurant chain ran an IPA Madness promotion through April 7.
Location-Specific and Themed Promotions
In addition to national chain offers, some promotions were tied to specific host cities for major tournament events. For the Final Four, which was hosted in San Antonio, several local restaurants offered themed treats and deals:
- Auntie Anne’s: Offered limited-time basketball buckets with customizable pretzel nugget flavors.
- La Gloria: Featured special basketball lattes and conchas.
- Smoke Shack: Offered a special Final Four barbecue platter.
Maximizing March Madness Food Deals
Based on the available information, consumers could maximize their savings and enjoyment during the tournament by employing several strategies:
- Use Delivery Apps: Services like Grubhub and Seamless provided exclusive discounts and freebies that were not always available directly through restaurant apps or websites.
- Join Rewards Programs: Some deals, such as the Auntie Anne’s $5 off Basketball Bucket, were exclusive to rewards program members.
- Check Ordering Requirements: Many deals required a minimum purchase amount (e.g., $15, $20, $25, $40) and specified the ordering platform (e.g., Grubhub, Seamless, or the restaurant’s own app). It was crucial to read the terms of each offer carefully.
- Note Time Sensitivity: Most deals were valid only during specific tournament windows. Planning orders around these dates was essential to take advantage of the promotions.
Conclusion
March Madness 2025 offered a variety of food and beverage deals designed to enhance the viewing experience for basketball fans. Promotions were largely concentrated around the tournament's key rounds and were often delivered through partnerships with food delivery platforms like Grubhub and Seamless. Major chains such as Wendy’s, Little Caesars, Popeyes, and Taco Bell provided free items and discounts, while some regional and themed promotions were available in host cities for major events. To benefit from these offers, consumers needed to be mindful of minimum purchase requirements, specific ordering methods, and the limited-time nature of the promotions.