With just about one hour to go until the first official game of the Round of 64 in the 2017 NCAA Tournament tipped off, the servers on CBSSports.com malfunctioned.
Many users across social media reported that the servers on the website and mobile application were down for an extended period of time period before the first game — No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Princeton — started at 12:15 p.m. EST.
Madness: CBS Sports Bracket Website Is Down On Its Biggest Day Of The Year t.co/VY3ZkMR88X $CBS #MarchMadness
Want to fill out or fix your bracket on CBS Sports? Uhhhhh, good luck…
The servers were fixed and back up and running, but about five minutes after the first game had already started.
Those looking to make last-minute adjustments to their brackets, or submit a new one had a frustrating time trying to do so. Users were greeted with an error message on the CBS Sports website and app, notifying them that the website was currently down.
I’m trying to change my pick but CBS Sports has crashed. I’ve got Maryland in the Sweet 16 :( t.co/M09biU4083
The server not working moments before the tournament led to widespread panic on social media, as brackets officially locked for the entirety of the tournament when the first game started, leaving many to question, “What if?”
Five minutes until tip-off and @CBSSports servers are still down. #NCAATournament #marchmadness
USA Today reported that people who signed onto the website a short while after 11 a.m. EST on Thursday experienced the site crashing or not behaving as it normally would, making it quite the hassle to make any tweaks to brackets.
