
What year did Texas Western College win the NCAA championship?
On March 19, 1966, Texas Western College defeats the University of Kentucky in the NCAA men’s college basketball final at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. This marked the first time an all-black starting five had won the NCAA championship.
What year did Kentucky win the NCAA championship?
Kentuckyvs. Texas Western - Saturday, March 19 1966 - NCAA Championship(at College Park, MD) Kentucky- 65(Head Coach: Adolph Rupp)- [Final Rank 1stby AP]
What year did the Texas Western Miners win the National Championship?
The 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), led by Hall of Fame head coach Don Haskins. The team won the national championship in 1966, becoming the first team with an all-black starting lineup to do so.
What happened after Texas Western won the 1966 national championship?
In the years immediately after Texas Western's title, the integration of college sports took a great leap forward. Between 1966 and 1985, the average number of blacks on college teams jumped from 2.9 to 5.7. At Northern colleges, where the unwritten rule for coaches had been, "Two blacks at home.

What year did Texas Western beat Kentucky in basketball?
1966In College Park, Maryland on March 19, 1966, underdog Texas Western College defeats Kentucky, 72-65, in the NCAA men's college basketball final—the first NCAA title for an all-Black starting five.
What year did Texas Southern beat Kentucky?
1966The 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game was the final of the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament and determined the national champion in the 1965–66 NCAA University Division men's basketball season....1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game.Texas Western MinersKentucky WildcatsAP: 3AP: 13 more rows
What year did Texas Western win the NCAA?
The 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), led by Hall of Fame head coach Don Haskins. The team won the national championship in 1966, becoming the first team with an all-black starting lineup to do so.
Who won the 1966 college basketball championship?
UTEP Miners men's basketball1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionThe UTEP Miners basketball team plays for University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas. The team is an NCAA Division I men's college basketball team competing in the Conference USA. Home games are played at Don Haskins Center. Wikipedia
What is Texas Western called now?
the University of Texas at El PasoSHAPIRO: Texas Western is now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, and Andrade Franco says that historic team is a point of pride for his city.
What seed was Texas Western in 1966?
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.
How did Texas Western beat Kentucky?
March 19 - The Texas Western Miners defeat the Kentucky Wildcats with five African-American starters, ushering in desegregation in athletic recruiting.
What school is the last undefeated team to win the NCAA Championship?
And the most recent undefeated title came in 1976, at the hands of Indiana. Bob Knight was in his fifth year. In 1975, Knight's fourth season with the Hoosiers, he coached the team to a perfect 29-0 regular season, before falling to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament regional finals.
What happened to the 1966 Texas Western basketball team?
After the 1966 championship, college teams throughout the South began aggressively recruiting black athletes, ending years of shameful segregation. In 1967, Texas Western College changed its name to The University of Texas at El Paso, popularly known as UTEP.
Who won the 1967 NCAA basketball championship?
UCLA Bruins men's basketball1967 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Wikipedia
Who won the NCAA Championship 1965?
UCLA Bruins men's basketball1965 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Wikipedia
Who won the NCAA basketball championship in 1969?
UCLA Bruins men's basketball1969 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionUCLA, coached by John Wooden, won the national title with a 92–72 victory in the final game over Purdue, coached by George King. Lew Alcindor of UCLA was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Who won the NCAA championship 1965?
UCLA Bruins men's basketball1965 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Wikipedia
What did Bobby Joe Hill died of?
Heart attackBobby Joe Hill / Cause of deathHe retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas, and died in 2002 of a heart attack at age 59, the first player from the starting lineup to die. Bobby Joe Hill is interred at Restlawn Memorial Park in El Paso, Texas.
Who won the 1967 NCAA basketball championship?
UCLA Bruins men's basketball1967 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament / ChampionThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the sport of men's basketball as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Established in 1919, the program has won a record 11 NCAA titles. Wikipedia
Who was on the 1966 Kentucky basketball team?
1965-1966 Kentucky Wildcats Roster#PlayerHT-Louie Dampier6-0-Thad Jaracz6-5-Tommy Kron6-5-Pat Riley6-41 more row
Where did Texas Western players come from?
Texas Western’s players came from all over the country to El Paso, Texas. Three were from New York; two from El Paso; and two from Gary, Indiana. They came from the inner cities of Detroit and Houston, and from rural areas in Missouri and Kansas. In a 1991 Sports Illustrated article commemorating the 25th anniversary of the game, ...
Who was the president of Texas Western in 2006?
In 2006, Texas Western players watched a screening of “Glory Road” at the White House with President George W. Bush. “But that wasn’t the same thing as President (Lyndon) Johnson),” Cager said. “I was very disappointed we didn’t go to the White House or Ed Sullivan.
What was the first NCAA championship game?
The 1966 NCAA championship game between Texas Western and Kentucky was the first title matchup featuring an all-black lineup against an all-white lineup. While the game was historic in that regard, it wasn't until afterwards that its cultural impact was felt. By Jon Solomon. Feb 26, 2016 at 5:57 pm ET 8 min read.
Who was the Texas Western player who congratulated the Miners?
Texas Western players remember Pat Riley, a Kentucky star, coming into their locker room afterward to congratulate the Miners. “That was exciting for him to do that,” Armstrong said. “I know we didn’t approach the game thinking about race, and I don’t think the Kentucky team approached it as a racial game either.”.
Is Texas Western basketball in El Paso?
The team was presented with keys to the city of El Paso. A couple weeks ago, some Texas Western players returned to Cole Field House for the first time since 1966. Basketball is long gone from Cole, which was built for boxing, became one of the most storied basketball arenas, and now is transitioning into a football indoor practice facility.
Was Texas Western a race?
After Texas Western’s 72-65 victory over Kentucky, there was virtually no mention in the media about race. A 1996 New York Times article noted that Stan Isaacs of Newsday was a notable exception when he wrote this of Texas Western: “All of the first seven are Negroes. That shouldn’t be significant one way or the other, except that many people make it noteworthy with snickers about the ethnic makeup of the team.”
Did Williams see the Miners play in El Paso?
Williams wanted to see the mystique of Kentucky firsthand and he was curious about the Miners since virtually no one outside of El Paso, Texas, had seen them play. “The thing you noticed at the start of the game was Texas Western did have a size advantage,” Williams said.
When did segregation end in the South?
This was a landmark night and although the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education decision and Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation in the public school system, it was still common to find all-white college sports teams, particularly in the South.
What did the win in the South do to the Black athletes?
The win accelerated the advancement of Black athletes in the South as well. All-white leagues like the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southwestern Conference, and Southeastern Conference became integrated within the next two years.
Who were the miners' coaches in 1966?
The Wildcats were coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp aka ...
How many points did Louie Dampier score for Kentucky?
Louie Dampier and Pat Riley, two of Kentucky's short but excellent players, scored 19 points each. Dampier, only 6 feet tall, led the Wildcats in rebounds with nine.
Which state upset Kentucky for N.C.A.A.?
Texas Western Upsets Kentucky for N.C.A.A. Title
How long did the Miners stay ahead in the first half?
1 in the nation. Their rebounding strength and fine shooting kept them ahead from after 9 minutes 40 seconds of the first half until the end of the game.
Who sank the free throw that put Texas Western into the lead?
Nevil Shed , a New York boy, sank the free throw that put Texas Western into the lead it never relinquished. Few in the capacity crowd believed that this was the beginning of the end for the Wildcats.
Did Kentucky ever go to the finals without winning?
Kentucky never before went as far as the final of this tournament without winning. But, before 14,253 fans at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House, Coach Adolph Rupp's little men, who had done so well against taller teams all season, failed in their biggest game.
Who did Rupp take a pass from in the Texas Western game?
On the Miners' second possession, he took a pass from Bobby Joe Hill and, as Haskins had suggested, slammed a forceful dunk over Kentucky's Riley.
Who was the run and gun coach at Kentucky?
No.1-ranked Kentucky, meanwhile, was the run-and-gun team. Rupp's Runts, featuring future NBA coach Pat Riley, future ESPN broadcaster Larry Conley and Louie Dampier, were small, quick and athletic. And, like all of coach Adolph Rupp's teams, they ran at every opportunity.
How many black players were in Texas Western?
Of Texas Western's seven black players -- the Miners also had four whites and an Hispanic, none of whom played that night -- four graduated. The other three came within a semester of their degrees and have not suffered because of it: David Lattin is an executive with a Houston liquor distributor.
What happened to Rupp in 1977?
His only defeat in an NCAA title game haunted Rupp. " (He) carried the memory of that game to his grave," wrote his biographer, Russell Rice. Friends noted that even as he was dying with cancer in a Lexington hospital in 1977, the old coach lamented to visitors about the loss.
When did Rupp lose to Florida State?
In the last of Rupp's 1,066 games at Kentucky, in March of 1972, his team lost to Florida State. Kentucky was all-white again. Florida State started five blacks. "No one will remember him without remembering us," said Texas Western's Harry Flournoy.
Who coached the Miners in the 1960s?
Don Haskins coached the Miners to 719 wins and the 1966 national championship. While blacks couldn't play at most Southern and Southwestern schools in the mid-1960s, Haskins welcomed them at Texas Western, recruiting them from New York City, Detroit and Gary, Ind.
Who drives the lane for Texas Western?
Texas Western's Bobby Joe Hill drives the lane against Kentucky. Then history steps into the picture. Walking toward the red "M" at center court, in their orange uniforms and white Converse All-Stars, are the five starters for Texas Western. They are all black.
The spectators
Of course, virtually all sportswriters and editors then were white. So were the vast majority of Kentucky basketball fans. But many of the Kentuckians watching and listening to the game were black, and they knew history was being made that night.
The legacy
After Kentucky’s loss to Texas Western, the pace of integration quickened across the Southeastern Conference. The game had made a powerful statement. But change still came slow in Kentucky basketball. Lexington was still a very segregated town, and UK’s basketball fan base was overwhelmingly white.
What year did Texas Western start 5 African Americans?
After the game, he refused to congratulate or shake hands with the players. Equality in the NCAA. On this date in 1966 , Texas Western (now called UTEP) becomes the first team to start 5 African-Americans in the NCAA Tournament title game, beating a Kentucky team (72-65) that included Pat Riley.
What was the first team to start 5 African Americans in the NCAA Tournament?
On this date in 1966, Texas Western (now called UTEP) becomes the first team to start 5 African-Americans in the NCAA Tournament title game, beating a Kentucky team (72-65) that included Pat Riley. The team was immortalized in the 2006 film Glory Road. pic.twitter.com/CjYykMS62n
Was Rupp defeated?
At the game’s end, Rupp was defeated and humiliated by the loss, reports the Washington Post. The following season, several college teams started to integrate. Black players were no longer taboo, and basketball was never the same. Athletic directors began changing recruiting practices, and talent became more prevalent than race.
Did March Madness ever happen?
NBA Hall of Fame Coach Pat Riley played a key role in the historic matchup that’s been immortalized in movies and books. He took a moment to reflect on its impact on college sports.
