College Basketball on NBC
Encyclopedia
College Basketball on NBC is a former television program
created and produced by NBC Sports
that broadcast NCAA
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
–1998
. From 1969
–1981
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
500,000 in 1969.
. While NBC Sports
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
, Al McGuire
and Billy Packer
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
, before the game featuring the Big East
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
and Lee Leonard
).
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
to ABC
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
(who went up against Wichita State
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
play. Also in 1979
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
to this day, remains the highest-rated
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Magic Johnson
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
and Boston Celtics
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
of Notre Dame football games
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
created and produced by NBC Sports
that broadcast NCAA
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
–1998
. From 1969
–1981
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
500,000 in 1969.
. While NBC Sports
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
, Al McGuire
and Billy Packer
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
, before the game featuring the Big East
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
and Lee Leonard
).
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
to ABC
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
(who went up against Wichita State
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
play. Also in 1979
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
to this day, remains the highest-rated
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Magic Johnson
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
and Boston Celtics
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
of Notre Dame football games
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
created and produced by NBC Sports
that broadcast NCAA
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
–1998
. From 1969
–1981
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
500,000 in 1969.
. While NBC Sports
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
, Al McGuire
and Billy Packer
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
, before the game featuring the Big East
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
and Lee Leonard
).
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
to ABC
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
(who went up against Wichita State
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
play. Also in 1979
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
to this day, remains the highest-rated
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Magic Johnson
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
and Boston Celtics
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
of Notre Dame football games
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created and produced by NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
that broadcast NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
1969 in television
The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1969.For the American TV schedule, see: 1969-70 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. From 1969
1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1969, and ended with the championship game on March 22 in Louisville, Kentucky...
–1981
1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000 in 1969.
1969–1976
NBC didn't start airing regular season games until about 1975–76, when they partnered with TVSTVS Television Network
The TVS Television Network, or TVS for short, was a syndicator of American sports programming. It was one of several "occasional" national television networks that sprang up in the early 1960s to take advantage of the establishment of independent television stations and relaxation of the AT&T...
. While NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, Al McGuire
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.-Early life:He...
and Billy Packer
Billy Packer
Anthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, before the game featuring the Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 11, 1972, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Los Angeles, California...
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 10, 1973, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri...
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to officially be designated as a Division I championship—previously, NCAA member...
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NCAA Men's 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 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in San Diego, California...
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Men's 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, Pennsylvania...
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
and Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
).
1977–1979
In the 1977–78 season, C.D. Chesley (who controlled the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
1978 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1978 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 1-4. Duke defeated Wake Forest 85-77 to win the championship. Jim Spanarkel was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:...
to ABC
College Basketball on ABC
ESPN College Basketball on ABC presented by KFC was a television program on ABC that broadcast regular season NCAA Division I men's basketball games. In 1987, ABC began televising college basketball games on a regular basis. As CBS and NBC were also broadcasting college games at the time, this...
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1978 NCAA Men's 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 11, 1978, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in St. Louis, Missouri...
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
1979 in television
The year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
(who went up against Wichita State
Wichita State Shockers men's basketball
The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
play. Also in 1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions is the official film and television production company for the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-Football:It was founded by Dick Snider as NCAA Films...
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
to this day, remains the highest-rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
After losing the Division I Basketball Tournament rights (1982–1989)
After NBC lost the tourney rights to CBSCollege Basketball on CBS
College Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
1983 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Omni from March 11-13. NC State defeated Virginia 81-78 to win the championship. Sidney Lowe was named the Tournament MVP. It was the first time that the event was held in Atlanta.-Bracket:*Denotes...
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 9-11. Maryland defeated Duke 74-62 to win the championship. Len Bias was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:*Denotes overtime game....
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
Decline (1990–1998)
With CBS and ESPNCollege Basketball on ESPN
College Basketball on ESPN is a presentation of the college basketball television package on the ESPN family of networks. The television network broadcasts games of all the major conferences and many mid-major conferences of Division I NCAA basketball....
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
Notre Dame Football on NBC
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame football television package on NBC. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.-History:...
of Notre Dame football games
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
Providence Friars men's basketball
The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
See also
- Men's college basketball on televisionMen's college basketball on televisionMen's College basketball on television includes the broadcasting of college basketball games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories...
- NCAA Men%27s Division I Basketball Championship#Television
External links
College Basketball on NBC is a former television programTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created and produced by NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
that broadcast NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
1969 in television
The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1969.For the American TV schedule, see: 1969-70 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. From 1969
1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1969, and ended with the championship game on March 22 in Louisville, Kentucky...
–1981
1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000 in 1969.
1969–1976
NBC didn't start airing regular season games until about 1975–76, when they partnered with TVSTVS Television Network
The TVS Television Network, or TVS for short, was a syndicator of American sports programming. It was one of several "occasional" national television networks that sprang up in the early 1960s to take advantage of the establishment of independent television stations and relaxation of the AT&T...
. While NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, Al McGuire
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.-Early life:He...
and Billy Packer
Billy Packer
Anthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, before the game featuring the Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 11, 1972, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Los Angeles, California...
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 10, 1973, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri...
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to officially be designated as a Division I championship—previously, NCAA member...
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NCAA Men's 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 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in San Diego, California...
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Men's 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, Pennsylvania...
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
and Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
).
1977–1979
In the 1977–78 season, C.D. Chesley (who controlled the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
1978 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1978 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 1-4. Duke defeated Wake Forest 85-77 to win the championship. Jim Spanarkel was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:...
to ABC
College Basketball on ABC
ESPN College Basketball on ABC presented by KFC was a television program on ABC that broadcast regular season NCAA Division I men's basketball games. In 1987, ABC began televising college basketball games on a regular basis. As CBS and NBC were also broadcasting college games at the time, this...
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1978 NCAA Men's 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 11, 1978, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in St. Louis, Missouri...
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
1979 in television
The year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
(who went up against Wichita State
Wichita State Shockers men's basketball
The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
play. Also in 1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions is the official film and television production company for the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-Football:It was founded by Dick Snider as NCAA Films...
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
to this day, remains the highest-rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
After losing the Division I Basketball Tournament rights (1982–1989)
After NBC lost the tourney rights to CBSCollege Basketball on CBS
College Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
1983 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Omni from March 11-13. NC State defeated Virginia 81-78 to win the championship. Sidney Lowe was named the Tournament MVP. It was the first time that the event was held in Atlanta.-Bracket:*Denotes...
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 9-11. Maryland defeated Duke 74-62 to win the championship. Len Bias was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:*Denotes overtime game....
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
Decline (1990–1998)
With CBS and ESPNCollege Basketball on ESPN
College Basketball on ESPN is a presentation of the college basketball television package on the ESPN family of networks. The television network broadcasts games of all the major conferences and many mid-major conferences of Division I NCAA basketball....
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
Notre Dame Football on NBC
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame football television package on NBC. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.-History:...
of Notre Dame football games
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
Providence Friars men's basketball
The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
See also
- Men's college basketball on televisionMen's college basketball on televisionMen's College basketball on television includes the broadcasting of college basketball games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories...
- NCAA Men%27s Division I Basketball Championship#Television
External links
College Basketball on NBC is a former television programTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created and produced by NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
that broadcast NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I men's basketball games. The program existed in some shape or form from 1969
1969 in television
The year 1969 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events in 1969.For the American TV schedule, see: 1969-70 American network television schedule.-Events:...
–1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. From 1969
1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1969, and ended with the championship game on March 22 in Louisville, Kentucky...
–1981
1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, NBC covered the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They became the first major network to broadcast the championship game, at a cost of more than $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
500,000 in 1969.
1969–1976
NBC didn't start airing regular season games until about 1975–76, when they partnered with TVSTVS Television Network
The TVS Television Network, or TVS for short, was a syndicator of American sports programming. It was one of several "occasional" national television networks that sprang up in the early 1960s to take advantage of the establishment of independent television stations and relaxation of the AT&T...
. While NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
' on-air talent was used, the production was covered by TVS. By this point, NBC would air regional/national games on Saturdays and national games (called by Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
, Al McGuire
Al McGuire
Al McGuire was the head coach of the Marquette University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1977. He compiled impressive numbers throughout his coaching career, resulting in his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was also well known for his colorful personality.-Early life:He...
and Billy Packer
Billy Packer
Anthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
) on Sundays. As for the regional telecasts on Saturdays, typically in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, before the game featuring the Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
or Atlantic 10 conferences, it was the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Game of the Week.
For NBC's first year of tournament coverage in 1969, they actually aired the consolation game nationally and the national semifinals regionally (which were on a Thursday night). 1972
1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 11, 1972, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Los Angeles, California...
marked the final year that NBC aired the consolation game. The following year
1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 10, 1973, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri...
marked the first time that the Final Four was on a Saturday, and the first prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
championship game to air on NBC.
By 1974
1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to officially be designated as a Division I championship—previously, NCAA member...
, NBC was providing coverage of 9 games in 7 windows (a far cry from the current tournament coverage). 1974 also marked the first year that Billy Packer helped commentate an NCAA tournament game, starting a streak continued well into the 2000s. The following year
1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NCAA Men's 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 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in San Diego, California...
, NBC aired 10 games in 9 windows - presenting the regional finals as a tripleheader with regionalized coverage in the middle time slot. This was also the first year, Billy Packer, worked on coverage of the Final Four.
The 1976 tournament
1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Men's 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, Pennsylvania...
coverage served as an awkward transition period from Curt Gowdy
Curt Gowdy
Curtis Edward "Curt" Gowdy was an American sportscaster, well known as the longtime "voice" of the Boston Red Sox and for his coverage of many nationally-televised sporting events, primarily for NBC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early years:The son of a manager for the Union Pacific railroad,...
to Dick Enberg. Although Enberg was NBC's lead college basketball play-by-play man during the regular season, Gowdy had a clause in his contract to do the NCAA championship game. As a compromise, NBC decided to put each of them on one national semifinal game along with Billy Packer. Then for the title game, they put both play-by-play voices together and relegated Packer to the studio (where he worked with Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
and Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard
Lee Leonard is an American television personality who was involved in the launch of cable television networks ESPN and CNN.-Early life:...
).
1977–1979
In the 1977–78 season, C.D. Chesley (who controlled the ACCAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
rights at the time) wanted NBC to televise some ACC games as part of its national package as it had the previous few years. However, NBC wanted to feature intersectional games. This action greatly upset Chesley, who wound up selling the rights to the ACC Tournament final
1978 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1978 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 1-4. Duke defeated Wake Forest 85-77 to win the championship. Jim Spanarkel was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:...
to ABC
College Basketball on ABC
ESPN College Basketball on ABC presented by KFC was a television program on ABC that broadcast regular season NCAA Division I men's basketball games. In 1987, ABC began televising college basketball games on a regular basis. As CBS and NBC were also broadcasting college games at the time, this...
. As a result, there was a notable absence of ACC home games in the 1977–78 NBC college basketball schedule.
In 1978
1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1978 NCAA Men's 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 11, 1978, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in St. Louis, Missouri...
, NBC for the first time, aired all regional finals games nationally, moving two of the games to Sunday. While Dick Enberg served as the play-by-play man for NBC's Final Four coverage, Curt Gowdy moved over to a hosting role for the Final Four coverage.
On February 25, 1979
1979 in television
The year 1979 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1979.For the American TV schedule, see: 1979-80 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, NBC added a game on to show undefeated Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
(who went up against Wichita State
Wichita State Shockers men's basketball
The Wichita State Shockers basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
on that particular day). This was the first time many fans had ever seen Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
play. Also in 1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, the tournament expanded to add Thursday-Friday first round games (done by NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions
NCAA Productions is the official film and television production company for the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-Football:It was founded by Dick Snider as NCAA Films...
, which also again did the regional semifinals). And like the previous year, NBC split up the analysts from its #1 announcer team for the first two weekends of the tournament. Therefore, Jim Simpson
Jim Simpson (sportscaster)
Jim Simpson is a retired American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters...
(in his last year with NBC before moving on to the brand new ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
cable network) worked with Billy Packer while Dick Enberg worked with Al McGuire during this period.
NBC's coverage of the 1979 NCAA championship game between Indiana State and Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
to this day, remains the highest-rated
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
game in the history of televised college basketball. The final game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Larry Bird. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
) was a major factor in the league's renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world.
After losing the Division I Basketball Tournament rights (1982–1989)
After NBC lost the tourney rights to CBSCollege Basketball on CBS
College Basketball on CBS presented by State Farm is a presentation of men's NCAA Division I basketball games on CBS...
(who started a separate regular season package) beginning in 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, they continued with TVS through 1983, wrapping up with the ACC Tournament Final
1983 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1983 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Omni from March 11-13. NC State defeated Virginia 81-78 to win the championship. Sidney Lowe was named the Tournament MVP. It was the first time that the event was held in Atlanta.-Bracket:*Denotes...
(which NBC had traditionally wrapped up their coverage with, by this point). After TVS went back to broadcasting separate, regional games beginning in 1983–84 (in the 1986–87 season for instance, NBC did a lot of Pac-10 telecasts on a regional basis), NBC was left picking up the scraps that CBS didn't want (save for the ACC Final
1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1984 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 9-11. Maryland defeated Duke 74-62 to win the championship. Len Bias was named the tournament MVP.-Bracket:*Denotes overtime game....
) for the rest of the 1980s. During this period, NBC's slogan was "College basketball, it's the stuff Saturdays are made of!"
Decline (1990–1998)
With CBS and ESPNCollege Basketball on ESPN
College Basketball on ESPN is a presentation of the college basketball television package on the ESPN family of networks. The television network broadcasts games of all the major conferences and many mid-major conferences of Division I NCAA basketball....
gaining strength in the 1990s, all NBC could put together was a 4–5 game package featuring a then-mediocre Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
program. By the 1992–93 season, NBC only broadcast two games (a February 6 contest involving Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
at Notre Dame and a February 13 contest involving Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
at Notre Dame). NBC was seeing much more success with a package
Notre Dame Football on NBC
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame football television package on NBC. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.-History:...
of Notre Dame football games
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
than the basketball games by this point. NBC's final college basketball broadcast to date was a February 28, 1998
1998 in television
The year 1998 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1998.For the American TV schedule, see: 1998–99 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
contest between Notre Dame and Providence
Providence Friars men's basketball
The Providence Friars men's basketball team represents Providence College in NCAA Division I competition, in which they are a founding member of the Big East Conference. They play their home games at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island...
. NBC does still air all Notre Dame football home games to this day, maintaining some relationship with the university.
See also
- Men's college basketball on televisionMen's college basketball on televisionMen's College basketball on television includes the broadcasting of college basketball games, as well as pre- and post-game reports, analysis, and human-interest stories...
- NCAA Men%27s Division I Basketball Championship#Television
External links
- NBCSports.com - College Basketball News
- NCAA 2008 Final Four - San Antonio > Tournament History
- Google Search (timeline)
