Travis Kelce reveals his surprise March Madness Cinderella pick
Travis Kelce picks the Drake Bulldogs as his Cinderella pick in the March Madness tournament.
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Travis Kelce is rooting for Drake University's basketball team (Image Credits: IMAGO/X)
It’s that time of the year again! The NCAA March Madness tournament is a highly anticipated tournament that tests the loyalties of college football fans. The tournament is synonymous with clutch moments, shocking upsets, and athletes pulling off remarkable plays.
This year, March Madness is special for one particular university. For Drake University, the past few decades have been filled with one losing season after the other.
However, this year, the Drake Bulldogs wound up pulling off an unexpected 67-57 win against the No. 6 Missouri Tigers. The number 11 ranked team’s win made history as it was their first in 50 years.
Drake University’s win has gotten many people excited, including Travis Kelce. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother Jason Kelce made their picks for March Madness on the New Heights podcast. The two brothers made their picks for the entire bracket.
The West has one of my favorite teams in the NCAA right now, and that’s Drake…Drake University. They have a fun story. Their coach and four of their players are from Division II. They got some guys that could play, although I think Missouri is a really good team, and that’s going to be a tough game for them. That’s like my Cinderella team this year. I’m rooting for them.
Travis Kelce said
His pick is looking a lot better after Drake’s win against the Missouri Tigers. He was not alone in appreciating the Bulldogs’ win. Prominent media personality Pat McAfee joined in to laud the team’s effort against Missouri. “What a performance by Drake,” McAfee reacted to the win via X. While the team has a long way to go, their statement win was a step in the right direction.
What a performance by Drake… just a SOUND comfortable 11 over 6 seed win
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2025
The Drake Bulldogs were elite in defense. The team held Missouri to 23 points in the first half, for the Tigers, that was the least amount of points they put up this season. It was a rough night for them, as the Bulldogs had their number throughout. Be it maintaining tight coverage, forcing them to take tough shots, and making them think twice before passing, the Bulldogs did it all.
The Drake Bulldogs will face Texas Tech in the second round
The first NCAA tournament win since 1971 for the Bulldogs is historic for them. It has ushered in a new fanbase pledging their loyalty to the Bulldogs. However, the biggest question now is if Drake can continue its win streak and beat Texas Tech in the second round. The optimism surrounding their campaign is growing, and that defense looks capable of stopping any offense dead in its tracks.
However, there are a few things that they will need to resolve before. Drake gave away 26 foul shots and that may prove to be a costly mistake as they progress further.
This win proved that the addition of Ben McCollum and Bennett Stirtz from Division II Northwest Missouri State has been fruitful for the Bulldogs. It must be noted that Kelce’s predictions came before Drake beat Missouri. So the tight end is not jumping on a bandwagon as he expressed his faith in the team winning early on.
Travis and Jason Kelce predicted their picks for the Final Four and the Championship. The former has picked St. John’s to beat Auburn and Duke to beat Houston in the Final Four while the latter picked Michigan State to beat St. John’s and Houston to beat Wisconsin. In the championship round, Travis believes St. John’s is capable of beating Duke, whereas Jason is sure Michigan State will go on to beat Houston.
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