1976 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
| 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 32 | ||||
| Finals site |
The Spectrum Philadelphia, PA |
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| Champions |
Indiana (3rd title, 3rd title game, 4th Final Four) |
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| Runner-up |
Michigan (2nd title game, 3rd Final Four) |
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| Semifinalists | |||||
| Winning coach | Bob Knight (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Kent Benson Indiana | ||||
| Attendance | 202,502 | ||||
| Top scorer |
Scott May Indiana (113 points) |
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The 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1976, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in Philadelphia. A total of 32 games were played, including a national third place game.
Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title with an 86–68 victory in the final game over Michigan, coached by Johnny Orr. Kent Benson of Indiana was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Notably, this was the first time that two teams from the same conference (the Big Ten) played in the title game. Also, this was the last men's Division I tournament to date to feature two unbeaten teams, as both Indiana and Rutgers entered the tournament unbeaten. To date, Indiana is the last team to go the entire season undefeated at 32-0. Both advanced to the Final Four, with Indiana winning the title and Rutgers losing to Michigan in the semifinals and UCLA in the third-place game.
As site of the Continental Congress and signing of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia also served as host for the 1976 NBA All-Star Game, the 1976 National Hockey League All-Star Game, and the 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at which President Ford threw out the first pitch. The 1976 Pro Bowl was an exception and was played in New Orleans, likely due to weather concerns.
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