March Madness 2014 kicked off earlier this week, and even if you don’t follow college basketball, it’s an occasion to celebrate. What better way to celebrate the sporting event than by hosting a viewing party for all your friends? But before you call up the crew and invite them over, check out our suggestions for hosting your own knockout March Madness viewing party.

Decorate

Decorate your space with banners and flags of your favorite teams. Hang a giant tournament bracket on the wall and invite your friends to fill it out. Break out a mini basketball hoop and have a friendly competition during the halftime show. Don’t forget to put together a sporty prize for the winner.

Refreshments

Food and drink: the real reasons (besides basketball) why you wanted to host this thing in the first place. Cook up some buffalo wings, chili, or nachos, or pick up a couple boxes of pizza. Grab a few cases of beer, or better yet, have them delivered. Set up a buffet table and ice bucket near the TV so your guests don’t have to wander too far for food and drink. Looking for some culinary inspiration? Check out this Pinterest page of basketball-themed baked goods.

Channel Your Inner Athlete

Encourage your friends to wear their favorite teams’ gear along with some sweet kicks. Not sure who your favorite team is? Don’t want to pick sides? Dress up as the referee and wear a whistle around your neck. You can pass around stress balls and mediate any party fouls that might occur.

Music and Activities

Put together a playlist of pump-up jams along with some activities to do before the game, after the game, and during halftime. How about some NCAA trivia? A sneaker competition? A bracket sheet game? You can always opt for a good old-fashioned drinking game.

Image from WordPress