Thr first thing you should know about running NCAA pools is you shouldn’t. It’s just aggravation. The biggest one is chasing down people for money. With that in mind, here are some friendly suggestions:

1. It’s 2016, have everyone enter picks into an Internet site like ESPN, Yahoo, or CBS. You don’t have to do this on paper. 
2. Again, it’s 2016. Use PayPal. You can have everyone send the money to you electronically, and when you do the payout, you can send it out electronically. No need to chase people down for money or cash checks. 
3. Have a small entry fee. The smaller the fee, the more likely people will be willing to do it. With more people in, it’s more fun, and hopefully, the payouts will be higher. 
4. A fun rule to increase participation is to offer last place their money back. Many people who are on the fence may be willing to give it a go knowing that if their picks are terrible, they’re getting their money back. 
5. Make sure everyone knows the points system and other rules upfront.  Also, keep those rules available whether it’s a message board or an email chain. 

If you follow these simple suggestions, running a pool shouldn’t be as stressful as it usually is. 

Good luck.