1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament

Edition of USA college basketball tournament March 2026 1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game August 2023 1977 1977 NCAA Basketball Championship logo.svg 32 The Omni Atlanta, Georgia Marquette Warriors 1st 2nd 2nd North Carolina Tar Heels 4th 7th UNLV Runnin' Rebels 1st UNC Charlotte 49ers 1st Al McGuire 1st Butch Lee Marquette 241,610 Cedric Maxwell Charlotte 123 The 1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. The 39th annual edition of the tournament began on Saturday, March 12, 1977, and ended with the championship game on Monday, March 28, at The Omni in Atlanta. A total of 32 games were played, including a national third-place game. This was the final tournament in which teams were not seeded. Marquette, coached by Al McGuire, won the national title with a 67–59 victory in the final game over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Butch Lee of Marquette was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Publicly announcing his retirement during the middle of the season, McGuire retired as head coach immediately after the game.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IHpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3BEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6492%2C5924780 Milwaukee Sentinel Marquette wins 1st NCAA title, 67-59, in McGuire's last game March 29, 1977 1, part 1 UNLV and UNC Charlotte were third and fourth place, respectively.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5mFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s1gDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4498%2C3538290 St. Petersburg Independent Basketball: NCAA Championship March 29, 1977 2C Marquette's seven losses were a record at the time for the most losses in a season by a national champion, exceeded four years later in 1981 by Indiana with nine. Schedule and venues USA 450 right 1977 sites for first round games USA green pog.svg 35.779590 -78.638179 bottom #FFFFFF Raleigh Reynolds Coliseum USA green pog.svg 39.952584 -75.165222 top #FFFFFF Philadelphia Spectrum_(arena) USA green pog.svg 35.222567 -97.439478 bottom #FFFFFF Norman Lloyd Noble Center USA green pog.svg 30.458283 -91.140320 left #FFFFFF Baton Rouge Pete Maravich Assembly Center USA green pog.svg 41.252363 -95.997988 top #FFFFFF Omaha Omaha Civic Auditorium USA green pog.svg 39.165325 -86.526386 top #FFFFFF Bloomington Assembly Hall (Bloomington) USA green pog.svg 42.871303 -112.445534 right #FFFFFF Pocatello Holt Arena USA green pog.svg 32.221743 -110.926479 top #FFFFFF Tucson McKale Center USA 450 right 1977 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red) USA blue pog.svg 38.989697 -76.937760 left #FFFFFF College Park Cole Field House USA blue pog.svg 38.040584 -84.503716 bottom #FFFFFF Lexington Rupp Arena USA blue pog.svg 35.467560 -97.516428 left #FFFFFF Oklahoma City Myriad Convention Center USA blue pog.svg 40.233844 -111.658534 top #FFFFFF Provo Marriott Center USA red pog.svg 33.748995 -84.387982 bottom #FFFFFF Atlanta Omni Coliseum The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1977 tournament: First round March 12 East Region The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Hosts: University of Pennsylvania, Ivy League) Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina (Host: North Carolina State University) Midwest Region Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma (Host: University of Oklahoma) Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska (Hosts: Creighton University, Missouri Valley Conference) West Region ASISU Minidome, Pocatello, Idaho (Hosts: Idaho State University, Big Sky Conference) McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona (Host: University of Arizona) March 13 Mideast Region LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Host: Louisiana State University) Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana (Host: Indiana University Bloomington) Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) March 17 and 19 East Regional, Cole Field House, College Park, Maryland (Host: University of Maryland, College Park) Mideast Regional, Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky) Midwest Regional, Myriad Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Host: Oklahoma City University) West Regional, Marriott Center, Provo, Utah (Host: Brigham Young University) National semifinals, 3rd-place game, and championship (Final Four and championship) March 26 and 28 The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia (Host: University of Georgia) Teams Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final opponent Score East East Duquesne John Cinicola Eastern Round of 32 VMI L 73–66 East 1976 men Hofstra Pride Hofstra Roger Gaeckler East Coast Round of 32 Notre Dame L 90–83 East Kentucky Joe B. Hall Southeastern Regional Runner-up North Carolina L 79–72 East North Carolina Dean Smith Atlantic Coast Runner Up Marquette L 67–59 East Notre Dame Digger Phelps Independent Sweet Sixteen North Carolina L 79–77 East Princeton Pete Carril Ivy League Round of 32 Kentucky L 72–58 East Purdue Fred Schaus Big Ten Round of 32 North Carolina L 69–66 East VMI Charlie Schmaus Southern Sweet Sixteen Kentucky L 93–78 Mideast Mideast 1976 men Central Michigan Chippewas Central Michigan Dick Parfitt Mid-American Round of 32 UNC Charlotte L 91–86 Mideast UNC Charlotte Lee Rose Sun Belt Fourth Place UNLV L 106–94 Mideast Detroit Dick Vitale Independent Sweet Sixteen Michigan L 86–81 Mideast 1976 men Holy Cross Crusaders Holy Cross George Blaney Independent Round of 32 Michigan L 92–81 Mideast Michigan Johnny Orr Big Ten Regional Runner-up UNC Charlotte L 75–68 Mideast 1976 men Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Middle Tennessee State Jimmy Earle Ohio Valley Round of 32 Detroit L 93–76 Mideast Syracuse Jim Boeheim Independent Sweet Sixteen UNC Charlotte L 81–59 Mideast 1976 none Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee Ray Mears Southeastern Round of 32 Syracuse L 93–88 Midwest Midwest Arizona Fred Snowden Western Athletic Round of 32 Southern Illinois L 81–77 Midwest Arkansas Eddie Sutton Southwest Round of 32 Wake Forest L 86–80 Midwest Cincinnati Gale Catlett Metropolitan Round of 32 Marquette L 66–51 Midwest Kansas State Jack Hartman Big Eight Sweet Sixteen Marquette L 67–66 Midwest Marquette Al McGuire Independent Champion North Carolina W 67–59 Midwest Providence Dave Gavitt Independent Round of 32 Kansas State L 87–80 Midwest Southern Illinois Paul Lambert Missouri Valley Sweet Sixteen Wake Forest L 86–81 Midwest Wake Forest Carl Tacy Atlantic Coast Regional Runner-up Marquette L 82–68 West West Idaho State Jim Killingsworth Big Sky Regional Runner-up UNLV L 107–90 West 1976 men Long Beach State 49ers Long Beach State Dwight Jones Pacific Coast Round of 32 Idaho State L 83–72 West Louisville Denny Crum Metropolitan Round of 32 UCLA L 87–79 West 1976 men San Francisco Dons San Francisco Bob Gaillard West Coast Round of 32 UNLV L 121–95 West St. John's Lou Carnesecca Independent Round of 32 Utah L 72–68 West UCLA Gene Bartow Pacific-8 Sweet Sixteen Idaho State L 76–75 West UNLV Jerry Tarkanian Independent Third Place UNC Charlotte W 106–94 West Utah Jerry Pimm Western Athletic Sweet Sixteen UNLV L 83–88 Bracket * – Denotes overtime period East region Cole Field House – College Park, MarylandFirst round games were played at Raleigh, North Carolina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 12. VMI 73 Duquesne 66 Kentucky 72 Princeton 58 Notre Dame 90 Hofstra 83 North Carolina 69 Purdue 66 VMI 78 Kentucky 93 Notre Dame 77 North Carolina 79 Kentucky 72 North Carolina 79 West region Most of the excitement surrounding the Western Regional was the anticipated matchup between top-five-ranked teams UCLA and UNLV. Jerry Tarkanian had lost three times in the tournament to UCLA while he was at Long Beach State, including a heartbreaking 57–55 loss in the 1971 West Regional final in which Long Beach led by eleven in the second half. Many felt this UNLV team gave him the best opportunity to beat his longtime nemesis. But he never got the chance as UCLA was stunned in the regional semi final by unranked Idaho State of the Big Sky Conference.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BdFSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IX8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6533%2C4610884 Deseret News Salt Lake City Benson Lee Utes fall short, Idaho State stuns UCLA March 18, 1977 6Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aPAjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7vgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4290%2C999413 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press ISU has greatest win March 18, 1977 21https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hdZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JOADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6510%2C4260707 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire services UCLA becomes the obscure one March 18, 1977 1B This was the first time since 1963 that UCLA made the tournament but failed to get to the Final Four. Down by a point at halftime, UNLV went on to easily beat Idaho State 107–90.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h9ZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JOADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6797%2C4667291 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon wire services Tark's ploy sends Rebels past Bengals March 20, 1977 1B Marriott Center – Provo, Utah First round games were played at Pocatello, Idaho and Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, March 12. UCLA 87 Louisville 79 Idaho State 83 Long Beach State 72 Utah 72 St. John's 68 UNLV 121 San Francisco 95 UCLA 75 Idaho State 76 Utah 83 UNLV 88 Idaho State 90 UNLV 107 Mideast region Rupp Arena – Lexington, Kentucky First round games were played at Bloomington, Indiana and Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Sunday, March 13. Michigan 92 Holy Cross 81 Detroit 93 Middle Tennessee State 76 UNC Charlotte 91 Central Michigan 86* Syracuse 93 Tennessee 88* Michigan 86 Detroit 81 UNC Charlotte 81 Syracuse 59 Michigan 68 UNC Charlotte 75 Midwest region Myriad Convention Center – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma First round games were played at Omaha, Nebraska and Norman, Oklahoma on Saturday, March 12. Marquette 66 Cincinnati 51 Kansas State 87 Providence 80 Wake Forest 86 Arkansas 80 Southern Illinois 81 Arizona 77 Marquette 67 Kansas State 66 Wake Forest 86 Southern Illinois 81 Marquette 82 Wake Forest 68 Final Four Omni Coliseum – Atlanta, Georgia National semifinalsSaturday, March 26 National Championship GameMonday, March 28 National third-place game E North Carolina 84 W UNLV 83 ME UNC Charlotte 49 MW Marquette 51 E North Carolina 59 MW Marquette 67 W UNLV 106 ME UNC Charlotte 94 See also 1977 NCAA Division II basketball tournament 1977 NCAA Division III basketball tournament 1977 National Invitation Tournament 1977 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament 1977 National Women's Invitation Tournament Notes All four regionals were played on Thursday and Saturday.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FnpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3BEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5954%2C3395304 Milwaukee Sentinel Thursday pairings March 17, 1977 4, part 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GHpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3BEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7112%2C3884206 Milwaukee Sentinel Now Idaho State aims at Vegas UPI March 19, 1977 4, part 2 The opening round the preceding weekend played twelve games on Saturday and four on Sunday.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EnpQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3BEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7254%2C2571740 Milwaukee Sentinel NCAA pairings March 12, 1977 2, part 2 The tournament saw only two teams making their NCAA Tournament debut, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Southern Illinois University. Interestingly, both teams had hosted tournament games in their arenas before playing in the tournament; SIU Arena hosted first-round games in the 1969 tournament, and Charlotte Coliseum, which the 49ers had just moved to in 1976 after previously playing on campus at Belk Gymnasium, had hosted games seven previous years (including 1976) and would host five more times before the opening of the second Charlotte Coliseum in 1988. This tournament marked the most recent appearance of VMI; their 47-year drought is, as of 2024, the sixth-longest active drought in the NCAA and ninth all-time. Fellow 1977 tournament participant Duquesne, who also spent 47 years attempting to reach the tournament again, ended their drought in 2024. Prior to the 2023 NCAA Tournament, this marked the last time the six Division I college basketball-playing schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area: Drexel, La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph's, Temple, and Villanova – were collectively shut out of the NCAA tournament. At least one of the teams had made the tournament the previous 18 years, and the city has only been shut out twelve of the 83 tournaments. Announcers Dick Enberg, Curt Gowdy, and Billy Packer - Final Four at Atlanta, Georgia; For the Final Four, Dick Enberg and Billy Packer called the first game while Packer teamed with Curt Gowdy for the second game. For the Championship Game, Curt Gowdy called the play-by-play while Dick Enberg and Billy Packer did the color commentary. Dick Enberg and Billy Packer - First Round at Pocatello, Idaho (UCLA-Louisville); First Round at Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Syracuse-Tennessee); East Regional Semifinals at College Park, Maryland; West Regional Final at Provo, Utah Curt Gowdy and John Wooden - First Round at Bloomington, Indiana (Michigan-Holy Cross); Mideast Regional Semifinals at Lexington, Kentucky; East Regional Final at College Park, Maryland Jim Simpson and Tom Hawkins - First Round at Tucson, Arizona (UNLV-San Francisco); Mideast Regional Final at Lexington, Kentucky Jay Randolph and Gary Thompson - Midwest Regional Final at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Marquette-Wake Forest) References Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Ncaa NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, 1977 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament