1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

American college basketball final March 2026 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament August 2023 1996 NCAA Tournament Championship Game ncg File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg April 1, 1996 1995-96 Syracuse University Syracuse Orangemen 29–8 Big East 15 14 Jim Boeheim 33 34 University of Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats 34–2 SEC 2 2 Rick Pitino 42 34 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, New Jersey 19,229 John Clougherty, Scott Thornley and David Libbey Tony Delk, Kentucky Kentucky by 14 CBS Jim Nantz (play-by-play)Billy Packer (color)Michele Tafoya and Andrea Joyce (sideline) 1995 1997 The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1995-96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The game was played on April 1, 1996, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and featured the Midwest Regional Champion, #1-seeded Kentucky versus the West Regional Champion, #4-seeded Syracuse. This was the first time the national championship game was held in the Greater New York Area since 1950. This was also the last men's national championship game to be held in a basketball/hockey-specific facility. Every Men's National Championship Game since then has been held in a domed stadium (usually built for football) because of NCAA venue capacity requirements. Therefore, this was the last time the national championship game was held in the Greater New York Area, or anywhere else in the Northeastern United States. Kentucky defeated Syracuse 76–67 to win their first national championship since 1978. Kentucky star Antoine Walker faced off against former high school teammate, Donovan McNabb, in the national championship against Syracuse University. McNabb would later gain fame as a quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles.http://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/prep-basketball-boys-preview-mt-carmel/article_15f6fecb-1ce2-552f-959d-9149b82ac8a9.html Prep Basketball 1994 Boys Preview. Mt. Carmel November 29, 1994 Participating teams Syracuse Orangemen 1995–96 Syracuse Orangemen basketball team West (4) Syracuse 88, (13) Montana State 55 (4) Syracuse 69, (12) Drexel 58 (4) Syracuse 83, (8) Georgia 81 (OT) (4) Syracuse 60, (2) Kansas 57 Final Four (W4) Syracuse 77, (SE5) Mississippi State 69 Kentucky Wildcats 1995–96 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team Midwest (1) Kentucky 110, (16) San Jose State 72 (1) Kentucky 84, (9) Virginia Tech 60 (1) Kentucky 101, (4) Utah 70 (1) Kentucky 83, (2) Wake Forest 63 Final Four (MW1) Kentucky 81, (E1) Massachusetts 74 Starting lineups Syracuse Position Kentucky Jason Cipolla G † Tony Delk Lazarus Sims G Anthony Epps Todd Burgan F Derek Anderson John Wallace F Antoine Walker Otis Hill C Walter McCarty† 1996 Consensus First Team All-American Game summary eGBHZ3UJmDo Full game broadcast by CBS #e3e3e3 April 1, 1996 Box score #MW1 Kentucky Wildcats 76 #W4 Syracuse Orangemen 67 Tony Delk - 24 Antoine Walker - 9 Anthony Epps - 7 John Wallace - 29 John Wallace, Otis Hill - 10 Lazarus Sims - 7 Halftime Score: Kentucky, 42-33 Continental Airlines Arena - East Rutherford, New Jersey 19,229 CBS References NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball championship games Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball Category:Syracuse Orange men's basketball Category:College basketball tournaments in New Jersey Category:Sports competitions in East Rutherford, New Jersey NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game Category:20th century in East Rutherford, New Jersey