For our international readers, we are in the midst of “crazy season” when it comes to college sports in the United States. U.S. fans know it as March Madness, when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments seem to take over our everyday lives throughout the month of March and into early April. It appears to be all basketball all the time, with fans following their favorite teams in person or on television, taking away from office work with co-worker game analyses around the water cooler, and inspiring millions to fill out tournament brackets in hopes of picking the most winners. 

With the XXV Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina in the sports spotlight during the month of February, it is only natural that our lead story follows our North Carolina-connected athletes in Italy.