The 1966 NCAA University Division basketball tournament involved 22 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national men's basketball champion of the NCAA University Division, now Division I. The 28th annual edition of the tournament began on March 7, and ended with the championship game on March 19, at Cole Field House, located on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park. A total of 26 games were played, including a third place game in each region and a national third place game.

Third-ranked Texas Western (now UTEP), coached by Don Haskins, won the national title with a 72–65 victory in the final over top-ranked Kentucky, led by head coach Adolph Rupp. Haskins started five black players for the first time in NCAA Championship history. Jerry Chambers of Utah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The 2006 film Glory Road is based on the story of the 1966 Texas Western team. Their tournament games against fourth-ranked Kansas and Kentucky are depicted in the film.

The tournament is also significant in that it was the last tournament until 2021, and one of two since the league's official founding, that the Ivy League did not send a representative to the tournament. The league champion, Penn, refused to comply with an NCAA edict that all teams must certify a 1.6 GPA for all student-athletes; the Ivy League and the university did not believe that the NCAA had the power to dictate such things, and as such the team was banned. They would have played Syracuse in the East regional at Blacksburg.Fifty years ago, Penn was banned from the NCAA tournament because of...grades?, Justin Feil, Philly Voice, March 10, 2016, last accessed April 17, 2022

This was the only NCAA tournament between 1961 and 1982 which did not include UCLA.

Locations Round Region Site Venue Host First RoundEastBlacksburg, VirginiaCassell ColiseumVirginia Tech MideastKent, OhioMemorial GymnasiumKent State Midwest& WestWichita, KansasWSU Field HouseWichita State Regionals EastRaleigh, North CarolinaReynolds ColiseumN.C. State MideastIowa City, IowaIowa Field HouseIowaMidwestLubbock, TexasLubbock Municipal ColiseumTexas Tech WestLos Angeles, CaliforniaPauley PavilionUCLA Final FourCollege Park, MarylandCole Field HouseMaryland

Teams Region Team Coach Conference Finished Final Opponent Score EastEast Davidson Lefty Driesell Southern Regional Fourth PlaceSaint Joseph'sL 92–76East Duke Vic Bubas Atlantic Coast Third Place Utah W 79–77East Providence Joe Mullaney Independent First roundSaint Joseph'sL 65–48East Rhode Island Ernie Calverley Yankee First roundDavidsonL 95–65East Saint Joseph's Jack Ramsay Middle Atlantic Regional third placeDavidsonW 92–76East Syracuse Fred Lewis Independent Regional Runner-upDukeL 91–81 MideastMideast Dayton Don Donoher Independent Regional Fourth PlaceWestern KentuckyL 82–62Mideast Kentucky Adolph Rupp Southeastern Runner Up Texas Western L 72–65Mideast Loyola–Chicago George Ireland Independent First roundWestern KentuckyL 105–86Mideast Miami (OH) Dick Shrider Mid-American First roundDaytonL 58–51Mideast Michigan Dave Strack Big Ten Regional Runner-up KentuckyL 84–77Mideast Western Kentucky Johnny Oldham Ohio Valley Regional third place DaytonW 82–62 MidwestMidwest Cincinnati Tay Baker Missouri Valley Regional Fourth PlaceSMUL 89–84Midwest Kansas Ted Owens Big Eight Regional Runner-upTexas WesternL 81–80Midwest Oklahoma City Abe Lemons Independent First roundTexas WesternL 89–74Midwest SMU Doc Hayes Southwest Regional third placeCincinnatiW 89–84Midwest Texas Western Don Haskins Independent ChampionKentuckyW 72–65 WestWest Colorado State Jim Williams Independent First roundHoustonL 82–76West Houston Guy Lewis Independent Regional third placePacificW 102–91West Oregon State Paul Valenti AAWU Regional Runner-upUtahL 70–64West Pacific Dick Edwards West Coast Athletic Regional Fourth PlaceHoustonL 102–91West Utah Jack Gardner Western Athletic Fourth PlaceDukeL 79–77

Bracket

East region

Mideast region

Midwest region

West region

Final Four

National Third Place Game

Regional third place games

Game summaries The Tournament is most remembered for the all-black starting five of Texas Western defeating an all-white starting five for Kentucky in the championship game.Fitzpatrick, Frank - Texas Western's 1966 title left lasting legacy. ESPN Classic, November 19, 2003

Clem Haskins and Dwight Smith became the first black athletes to integrate the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program in the Fall of 1963.Hilltopper Legend Dwight Smith Hilltopper Haven. Accessed 2009-06-24. Archived 2009-07-21. This put Western Kentucky at the forefront to integrate college basketball in the Southeast.Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem - My thoughts on UCLA in the Final Four Los Angeles Times, March 31, 2008. Western Kentucky was the forefront of the fight to integrate college basketball in the 1960s and early '70s. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were 2 points away from defeating Michigan and meeting the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the Mideast regional final. A controversial foul called against Smith during a jump ball put Cazzie Russell on the free throw line for Michigan, where he scored the tying and winning baskets.O'Donnell, Chuck - Cazzie Russell: converting two free throws with no time left advanced Michigan in the 1966 NCAA Tournament - The Game I'll Never Forget - University of Michigan versus Western Kentucky University. Basketball Digest, January/February 2004 issue

See also 1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament 1966 National Invitation Tournament 1966 NAIA basketball tournament 1966 NCAA University Division basketball championship game Black participation in college basketball

References