Founder Ahmad Merritt (retired NFL player), tells the origin story of BackMyBracket:
“We were tailgating when a guy came up to us talking his March Madness picks.”
The fan, an avid basketball fan, asked Ahmad for his picks for the upcoming tournament. Ahmad shared his analysis, but the fan wasn't convinced. He shared who he thought was going to win, but couldn't remember all of his picks. He did, however, feel strongly about his team making it all the way.
“There was no chance that team could win the tournament,” Ahmad remarks.
The two bantered back and forth, each passionately arguing their points. The game ended but their conversation stuck with Ahmad.
That’s where the idea hit. What if there was a way for fans like the one he had met earlier to proudly display their tournament picks? That's when BackMyBracket was born.
“Let’s let fans create and display their tournament brackets in a fun and interactive way.”
Now BackMyBracket let’s anyone pick winners throughout a tournament, then have their bracket added to apparel.
“We’re excited to share this with the world.”