The Game of the Century in college basketball was an NCAA historical game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played on January 20, 1968 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide. Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... The University of Houston, formerly University of Houston–University Park, is a comprehensive doctoral degree-granting university[1] located in Houston, Texas. ... Binomial name Ucla xenogrammus Holleman, 1993 The largemouth triplefin, Ucla xenogrammus, is a fish of the family Tripterygiidae and only member of the genus Ucla, found in the Pacific Ocean from Viet Nam, the Philippines, Palau and the Caroline Islands to Papua New Guinea, Australia (including Christmas Island), and the... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The Reliant Astrodome, formerly just the Astrodome, is a domed sports stadium in Houston, Texas, and is part of the Reliant Park complex. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ...

What made this matchup the "Game of the Century"

The UCLA Bruins were the dominant NCAA men's basketball program of the era, winning NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships in 1964-1965, 1967-1973, and 1975. Houston Cougars coach Guy V. Lewis wanted to prove his program's worth to his critics, so he decided to schedule UCLA. Houston and UCLA had met in the previous season in the semi finals of the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. UCLA had prevailed against Houston 73-58, and won that championship. The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for UCLA. The Bruin mens and womens teams participate in NCAA Division I-A as part of the Pacific Ten Conference. ... // The NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams in the United States. ... Missing image University of Houston logo University of Houston The University of Houston, often called U of H or UH, is a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive research university located in Houston, Texas. ... Guy V. Lewis (born in Arp, Texas, March 19, 1922) was a highly succesful NCAA basketball coach for 30 years at the University of Houston. ... The 1967 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ...

Up to that point only NCAA postseason games had been broadcast nationally, so there was much skepticism regarding where the broadcast would take the non-profit organization's policy. The broadcast drew a vast television audience in addition to the 52,629 fans who had filled the Astrodome for its first basketball game. The first half between the AP #1 Bruins and AP #2 Cougars closed with the Cougars up by three points. The second half saw the tension between the squads highlighted within the matchup of Houston's Elvin Hayes and UCLA's Lew Alcindor. In the end, the Cougars pulled the upset, 71-69, ending the Bruins' 47-game winning streak. The Reliant Astrodome, formerly just the Astrodome, is a domed sports stadium in Houston, Texas, and is part of the Reliant Park complex. ... Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, Louisiana) is considered as one of the all-time great collegiate and professional basketball players. ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947 in New York City, New York) was a successful high school, collegiate, and professional basketball player. ...

What happened after the Game

The teams faced off again later that season in the 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament semi finals, with the now #2 ranked Bruins getting their revenge 101-69 against the #1 ranked Cougars and advancing to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 78-55 for the 1968 title. The 1968 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ... The University of North Carolina is a sixteen-university system which comprises all public four-year universities in North Carolina, United States. ...

Lew Alcindor had suffered a scratched left cornea on January 12, 1968 at the Cal game. He would miss the next two games against Stanford and Portland. This happened right before the momentous game against Houston. His cornea later would be scratched again during his pro career and he would then wear goggles for protection. Following the NCAA championship, this would be cited as one of the reasons the game was so close.

The 1971 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament would be sited at the Astrodome following the success of the game, and would draw more than 31,000 spectators for both the semi finals and championship. The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament would be sited at the Louisiana Superdome. Eventually, most NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship would only be awarded to host cities with domed stadiums. The 1971 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ... The 1981 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ... Superdome redirects here. ... // The NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams in the United States. ...

UCLA and Houston would play again in 1969 at Pauley Pavilion for the regular season rematch. UCLA would win 100-64. Pauley Pavilion is a legendary indoor arena located on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, California. ...

What made this game an NCAA historical

Previously, only NCAA post-season games were broadcast on national television, but only on evidence that broadcasters were going to make a profit from the broadcasts. The "Game of the Century" between the Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins proved that Americans were willing to watch college basketball games during the regular seasons. After January 20th, 1968, the NCAA was able to broadcast college sports matchups at any time of the season, gradually allowing them to have more influence over future broadcast scheduling and introducing more Americans through media to the possibility of higher education opportunities provided by the NCAA. This game also influenced the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (United States) on July 23, 1972, respectively. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (United States), commonly known as Title IX, is a 37-word law enacted on June 23, 1972 that states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

External Link

• Madness began with one game (Jerry Wizig, The HomeCourt 3/26/95)

• Game of the Century retrospective blog (Alan Reifman)