Events in Sport
- 1939-03-27 1st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: U of Oregon beats Ohio State, 46-33; Ohio State forward Jimmy Hull is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1940-03-30 2nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Kansas, 60-42; Hoosiers' forward Marvin Huffman is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1941-03-29 3rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin beats Washington State, 39-34; Badgers' forward John Kotz is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1942-03-28 4th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Dartmouth, 53-38; Cardinal forward Howie Dallmar is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1943-03-30 5th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wyoming beats Georgetown, 46-34; Cowboys' point guard Ken Sailors is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1944-03-28 6th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Utah defeats Dartmouth, 42-40; Utes' first title; small forward Arnie Ferrin is named tournament MOP
- 1945-03-27 7th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats NYU, 49-44; Cowboys' center Bob Kurland is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1946-03-23 8th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats North Carolina, 43-40; Cowboys' back-to-back titles and center Bob Kurland MOP for 2nd straight year
- 1947-03-25 9th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Holy Cross beats Oklahoma, 58-47; Crusaders' first victory in first title game
- 1948-03-23 10th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Baylor, 58-42; Wildcats' first victory in first title game
- 1949-03-26 11th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Oklahoma State, 46-36; Wildcats' back-to-back titles; center Alex Groza MOP
- 1950-03-28 12th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: CCNY beats Bradley, 71-68; City College of NY first to win NCAA & National Invitational Basketball in same year
- 1951-03-27 13th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Kansas, 68-58; Wildcats' 3rd title; 16-team field is introduced
- 1952-03-26 14th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats St. Johns, 80-63; first tournament to have a true "Final Four" format
- 1953-03-18 15th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Kansas, 69-68; Jayhawks' center B. H. Born is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1954-03-20 16th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: La Salle beats Bradley, 92-76; Explorers' small forward Tom Gola is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
Sports History
1955-03-19 17th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: San Francisco beats La Salle, 77-63; Dons' future Hall of Fame center Bill Russell is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1956-03-24 18th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: San Francisco beats Iowa, 83-71; Dons' back-to-back National titles
Sports History
1957-03-23 19th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Kansas, 54-53 (3 OT); Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas 4th player to be named tournament MOP despite not playing for the championship team
Sports History
1958-03-22 20th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Seattle, 84-72; Seattle's future Hall of Fame small forward Elgin Baylor is named tournament MOP
Sports History
1959-03-21 21st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: California beats West Virginia, 71-70; WV future Hall of Fame point guard Jerry West is named MOP
Sports History
1960-03-19 22nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Ohio State beats California, 75-55; Buckeyes' future Hall of Fame forward Jerry Lucas is named tournament MOP
- 1961-03-25 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 70-65 (OT); Buckeyes' future Hall of Fame forward Jerry Lucas is MOP for 2nd straight year
- 1962-03-24 24th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 71-59; Bearcats win back-to-back National titles
- 1963-03-23 25th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Loyola-Chicago beats Cincinnati, 60-58 (OT); Ramblers' first title in first title game
- 1964-03-21 26th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Duke, 98-83; Bruins first title in first title game; undefeated season (30-0)
- 1965-03-20 27th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan, 91-80; Bruins' back-to-back National titles; Gail Goodrich 42 points
- 1966-03-19 28th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Texas Western beats Kentucky, 72-65; Miners first title in first title game
Sports History
1967-03-25 29th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton, 79-64; Bruins center Lew Alcindor (later named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) tournament MOP
- 1968-03-23 30th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats North Carolina, 78-55; Bruins back-to-back titles; Lew Alcindor tournament Most Outstanding Player for the 2nd of 3 consecutive years
- 1969-03-22 31st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Purdue 92-72; Bruins' 3-peat; center Lew Alcindor tournament Most Outstanding Player for 3rd consecutive year
- 1970-03-21 32nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Jacksonville, 80-69; Bruins' 4th straight title under coach John Wooden
- 1971-03-27 33rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Villanova, 68-62; UCLA's 5th consecutive title; Villanova later disqualified, ineligible player Howard Porter
Sports History
1972-03-25 34th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Florida, 81-76; 6th straight title for Bruins; future Hall of Fame center Bill Walton tournament MOP
- 1973-03-26 35th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Memphis 81-76; Bruins' 7th straight title; future Hall of Fame center Bill Walton tournament MOP for 2nd consecutive year
- 1974-03-24 36th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina State beats Marquette, 76-64; Wolfpack first title; first tournament officially designated as a Division I championship
- 1975-03-31 37th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Kentucky, 92-85; 10th title under coach John Wooden who had announced his retirement 2 days earlier
- 1976-03-29 38th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Michigan, 86-68; first time 2 teams from same conference (Big Ten) play in title game
- 1977-03-28 39th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette beats North Carolina, 67-59; Warriors' first title; coach Al McGuire retires
- 1978-03-27 40th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Duke, 94-88; Wildcats 5th title; forward Jack Givens scores 41 points
Sports History
1979-03-26 41st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Indiana State, 75-64; marks start of rivalry between future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Larry Bird; highest-rated game in history of televised college basketball
- 1980-03-24 42nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats UCLA, 59-54; Cardinals' first title in first title game
Sports History
1981-03-30 43rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats North Carolina, 63-50; Hoosiers' future Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas is named Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Sports History
1982-03-29 44th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Georgetown, 63-62; Tar Heels' future Hall of Fame small forward James Worthy named Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1983-04-04 45th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina State beats Houston, 54-52; Wolfpack win with buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles off a desperation 30 foot shot from Dereck Whittenburg
Sports History
1984-04-02 46th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Georgetown beats Houston, 84-75; Hoyas center Patrick Ewing tournament MOP; John Thompson first African-American head coach to lead his team to any NCAA Division I title
- 1985-04-01 47th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova beats Georgetown, 66-64; Wildcats lowest-seeded team (8th) to win tournament
- 1986-03-31 48th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Duke, 72-69; first tournament to use a shot clock (initially set at 45 seconds)
- 1987-03-31 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Syracuse, 74-73; Hoosiers' guard Keith Smart hits game-winner in final seconds, intercepts full court pass at the last second
- 1988-04-04 50th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats Oklahoma, 83-79; Jayhawks power forward Danny Manning named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 1989-04-03 51st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan beats Seton Hall, 80-79 (OT); Wolverines first title; small forward Glen Rice named tournament MOP
- 1990-04-02 52nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Nevada-LV beats Duke, 103-73; record largest margin of victory in a championship game; Runnin' Rebels' first title
- 1991-04-01 53rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Kansas, 72-65; Blue Devils' first title; power forward Christian Laettner MOP
- 1992-04-06 54th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Michigan, 71-51; back-to-back titles for Blue Devils and coach Mike Krzyzewski
- 1993-04-05 55th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Michigan, 77-71; Tar Heels' 3rd title
- 1994-04-04 56th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arkansas beats Duke, 76-72; Razorbacks' first title in first title game
- 1995-04-03 57th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Arkansas, 89-78; Bruins' 11th national title
- 1996-04-01 58th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Syracuse, 76-67; Wildcats' 6th national championship
- 1997-03-31 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky, 84-79 (OT); Wildcats' first title in first title game
- 1998-03-30 60th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Utah, 78-69; Wildcats' 2nd title in 3 seasons and 7th overall
- 1999-03-29 61st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Duke, 77-74; Huskies' first title in first title game
- 2000-04-03 62nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76; Spartans only top-4 seed to advance to the Final Four
- 2001-04-02 63rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Arizona, 82-72; Blue Devils' 3rd title; forward Shane Battier MOP
- 2002-04-01 64th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Maryland beats Indiana, 64-52; Terrapins' first title in first title game
- 2003-04-07 65th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Syracuse beats Kansas, 81-78; Orangemen win first title; Carmelo Anthony named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 2004-04-05 66th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Georgia Tech, 82-73; Huskies' forward Emeka Okafor named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 2005-04-04 67th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Illinois, 75-70; Tar Heels' 4th national championship
- 2006-04-03 68th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Florida beats UCLA, 73-57; Gators first title; center Joakim Noah named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- 2007-04-02 69th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Florida beats Ohio State, 84-75; Gators' back-to-back titles; forward Corey Brewer named Most Outstanding Player
- 2008-04-07 70th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kansas beats Memphis, 75-68; first time since seeding began, all 4 top seeds advance to the Final Four
- 2009-04-06 71st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Michigan State, 89-72; Tar Heels' 5th national title; Ty Lawson 21 points
- 2010-04-05 72nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Butler, 61-59; Blue Devils' forward Kyle Singler, 19 points
- 2011-04-04 73rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Butler, 53-41; Huskies' point guard Kemba Walker scores 16 points
- 2012-04-02 74th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky defeats Kansas, 67-59; Wildcats guard Doron Lamb, 22 points
- 2013-04-08 75th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Louisville beats Michigan, 82-76; Cardinals' forward Luke Hancock hits 22 points
- 2014-04-07 76th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Kentucky, 60-54; 2nd time a school has won both men's & women's Div I national titles in same year
- 2015-04-06 77th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Wisconsin, 68-63; Blue Devils' point guard Tyus Jones, 23 points
- 2016-04-04 78th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova defeats North Carolina, 77-74; Wildcats guard Phil Booth, 20 points
- 2017-04-03 79th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina defeats Gonzaga, 71–65; Tar Heels point guard Joel DeWayne Berry II, 22 points
- 2018-04-02 80th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova defeats Michigan, 79–62; Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo 31 points
- 2019-04-08 81st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Virginia beats Texas Tech, 85-77 OT; Cavaliers first ever National title; forward De'Andre Hunter, 27 points
- 2020-03-12 2020 NCAA men's basketball tournament is cancelled over concerns of the spread of COVID-19; first time 'March Madness' not held since it began in 1939; women's tournament also cancelled
- 2021-04-05 82nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Baylor Bears become second consecutive first-time NCAA champions with 86–70 over previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs
- 2022-04-04 83rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Caesars Superdome, NO, Louisiana: Uni of Kansas overcome record 16 point first half deficit to beat North Carolina Tar Heels, 72–69: Jayhawks 4th national title
- 2023-04-05 84th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas: UConn defeat the San Diego State Aztecs, 76–59 for Huskies' 5th national title; MOP: Adama Sanogo (UConn)
Birthdays in Sport
- 1915-08-31 Pete Newell, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Uni of San Francisco, Michigan State Uni; NCAA Men's C'ship 1959, Cal Berkeley; Olympic gold 1960), born in Vancouver, Canada (d. 2008)
Deaths in Sport
- 2008-11-17 Pete Newell, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Uni of San Francisco, Michigan State Uni; NCAA men's C'ship 1959, Cal Berkeley; Olympic gold 1960), dies at 93