On March 15, the U.S. Department of Defense sent an email to employees requesting they abstain from streaming NCAA basketball games on Pentagon computers, according to CBS News.
The email warned that streaming games could overburden the DOD's network.
"Your [Joint Service Provider] support team acknowledges and appreciates that college basketball fans within the DOD are excited to cheer on their favorite teams, update brackets and otherwise obsess over the Big Dance," the email read.
While the email noted JSP engineers plan to keep an eye on server availability throughout March Madness, it also reminded DOD employees that "we share a single network and visiting non-mission essential websites degrades network performance for everyone."
"Please keep in mind: If you're streaming video to watch your favorite player shooting free throws, you're consuming network resources that could be served to support the Warfighter," the email concluded.
CBS News confirmed the legitimacy of the email with a Pentagon official.