Read to the Final Four contest begins, setting up March Madness bracket for schools to compete against each other

PHOENIX – The Final Four reading contest ranks schools against each other in a March Madness style bracket, comparing how many minutes they’ve read for a chance to win money for literary programs.

The contest is held in the host city of the Men’s and Women’s Final Four each year, making its way to Phoenix in preparation for the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four this spring.

Nearly 12,000 third graders will participate in the ‘regular season’ challenge presented by the Helios Education Foundation, with 68 school teams selected in December to move on into the bracket section. Each school will be ranked based on the number of pages read each week, with 4 winners.

The top school will receive $5,000 for literary programs, with 3 runners-up receiving $2,500.

Jen Barnett, the Head of Social Responsibility & Operations for the Arizona Sports & Events Alliance, says basketball is mimicked in the program.

“When they are put together and it’s like a teamwork effort, it really pushes them to read more, they get more excited, they have more fun. And the values of sport, teamwork, practice, repetition, you know, those translate directly into learning,” she said.

Barnett added that the goal is to leave a mark on the community long after the tournament ends.

“Third grade marks a pivotal moment for our students. It’s a shift from learning to read to reading to learn. So that’s why this program targets our third graders. And so, when Arizona hosts these major events like Women’s Final Four, we want to be sure we’re leaving a meaningful impact,” she said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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