Indiana Hoosiers Win NCAA Championship

On March 30, 1981, Indiana beats North Carolina 63-50 for the NCAA tournament championship.

Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title in the final game over North Carolina, coached by Dean Smith. Isiah Thomas of Indiana was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

A young Bobby Knight riding on the shoulders of his 1981 NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers team.

This was the last year the NCAA tournament in which the national third-place game would be played. The final third place game pitted up Virginia and LSU. Virginia would win in their first Final Four appearance.

The Indiana Hoosiers have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981 and 1987. The Hoosiers have also finished NCAA Tournament runner-up once, in 2002. Indiana has reached the Final Four a total of eight times including once from every decade starting in the 70s through the 2000s. The Hoosiers have made the Elite Eight a total of 11 times, including back-to-back appearances in 1975-1976 and 1992-1993. Indiana has been to the Sweet 16 a total of 21 times, including four consecutive appearances from 1991-1994, and now back-to-back appearances from 2012 and 2013. The Hoosiers have been invited to 37 NCAA Tournaments, including 18-straight appearances from 1986-2003.

The Indiana Hoosiers have appeared in 95 NCAA Tournament games, good enough for seventh all-time behind only Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville. Their record of 64-31 is the ninth best winning percentage, .673, of all time. But it is seventh among all teams with more than 13 NCAA Tournament games played. Their 64-wins in the NCAA Tournament is also tied for seventh all-time behind Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Duke and Louisville

Indiana missed out on the NCAA Tournament this year and will look to next season to add onto their historic legacy.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have amassed five NCAA Tournament Championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009. The Tar Heels were the runner-up four times in 1946, 1968, 1977 and 1981. North Carolina has been in the Final Four a total of 18 times, including three consecutive appearances from 1967-1969. The Tar Heels have reached the Elite Eight 26 times, including three-consecutive times twice, in 1967-1969 and 2007-2009. North Carolina has played in the Sweet 16 a total of 31 times, including 13-straight years from 1981-1993. The Tar Heels have been invited to the NCAA Tournament a total of 45 times, including 27-consecutive years from 1975-2001.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have appeared in 153 NCAA Tournament games, well enough for second all-time behind only Kentucky. Their record of 110-43 is good enough for fourth all-time in winning percentage, .718, behind only Florida Gulf Coast, Duke and UCLA. However, they are third all-time with teams playing with more than three games. Their 110-wins in the NCAA Tournament is good enough for second most all-time behind only Kentucky’s 114.

North Carolina had to give up their dream of adding onto their five NCAA Tournament championships when they lost to Iowa State in the third round.

Duke Blue Devils Win NCAA Championship

On March 28, 1992, the Duke Blue Devils edge out the Kentucky Wildcats. With two seconds left the Blue Devils completed a three-quarter court inbounds pass from Grant Hill to Christian Laettener, who would then put in a basket to win the game in overtime 104-103.

The 1992 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions, the Duke Blue Devils.

The win over Kentucky put Duke into the Final Four and eventually they would be crowned NCAA Tournament Champions with a win over Indiana in the Final Four and Michigan in the Finals.

Duke’s Laettener would be the games leading scorer with 31 points in the win. Kentucky’s Jamal Mashburn would lead the Wildcats in scoring with 28 points.

Eight players from this game, including Grant Hill, Christian Laettener, Jamal Mashburn, Bobby Hurley, Brian Davis, Thomas Hill, Antonio Lang and Cherokee Parks were drafted into the NBA.

Grant Hill, Laettener and Mashburn would have successful careers in the NBA while several of the others drafted would not play in the NBA after being drafted, but play overseas.

The NCAA Championship for Duke was the schools second, and second of a back-to-back with their first win coming in 1991. Since 1992, Duke has won two more NCAA Tournament Finals in 2001 and 2010. Duke was the NCAA Tournament runner up six times, including 1964, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1999.

Duke made the Final Four 15 times including five straight appearances from 1988-1992. They reached the Elite Eight 18 times, including five straight appearances from 1988-1992. Duke has played in the Sweet 16 a total of 27 times, including seven straight from 1986-1992 and nine straight from 1998-2006. The Blue Devils have played in the NCAA Tournament a total of 37 times, and have been in the NCAA Tournament every year since 1996, marking 18 straight appearances in tournament play.

The Blue Devils and Wildcats are tied for third all-time with 15 Final Four appearances, trailing only North Carolina and UCLA.

The Blue Devils 10 NCAA Tournament Finals appearances ranks third all-time behind Kentucky and UCLA, and their four victories in the NCAA Tournament Finals ranks fifth all-time, behind North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and UCLA. Despite not having the most NCAA Championships, Duke is the proud owner of the highest winning percentage in NCAA Tournament play with .750 winning percentage.

The Duke Blue Devils have appeared in 133 NCAA Tournaments, fifth all time behind only UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky. Their combined record is 96-33.

With Duke still in the NCAA Tournament this year they have a chance to add onto their schools already historic basketball legacy.

While the Kentucky Wildcats would miss out on the Final Four and their chance win the NCAA Tournament Finals in 1992, but the school has had some good seasons since. The Wildcats have amassed eight NCAA Tournament Champions, including three since 1992, in 1996, 1998 and 2012. The Wildcats were the NCAA Tournament runner-ups in 1966, 1975 and 1997.

Kentucky made the Final Four 15 times, including back-to-back appearances in 1948-1949, 1996-1997 and 2011-2012. The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight 34 times, including four straight years from 1996-1999. They had reached the Sweet 16 a total of 39 times, including six consecutive years from 1968-1973. The Wildcats have played in the NCAA Tournament a total of 52 times, including 17 straight appearances from 1992-2007.

The Wildcats 11 NCAA Tournament Finals appearances rank second all-time, only behind UCLA, and their eight victories in the NCAA Tournament Finals also ranks second all-time, again behind only UCLA.

Kentucky also leads all schools with 57 20-win seasons, 13 30-win seasons, and is the only school with five different NCAA Championship coaches Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Orlando “Tubby” Smith and John Calipari.

The Kentucky Wildcats have appeared in 158 NCAA Tournaments, the most of any school. Their combined record is 113-46.

Michigan State Spartans Wins NCAA Championship

On March 26, 1979, Michigan State would play Indiana State for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship.  Michigan would defeat Indiana 75-64, led by point guard Magic Johnson who was also named as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

To this day, the 1979 championship game remains as the highest-rated college basketball game in history.  Much hype was given to this game by the media because each team had a superstar, with Michigan State having Magic Johnson on their roster, while Larry Bird was playing for Indiana State. 

Both players led their respective teams in scoring in the game, but it was Magic’s 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists that ultimately took home the title for the Spartans.

Michigan State has compiled two NCAA Tournament championships in 1979 and 2000. They were the Tournament runner-up in 2009. The Spartans have reached the Final Four eight times including back-to-back-back appearances in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Their last appearance in the Final Four came in 2010. The Spartans have also reached the Elite Eight 11 times, the Sweet Sixteen 16 times, including four straight years from 1998-2001. Overall the Spartans have reached the NCAA Tournament 27 times, and is on their 17th consecutive appearance this year dating back to 1998.

While Michigan State won the NCAA Tournament in 1979, and again in 2000, Indiana State had never won the NCAA Tournament. Their highest finish ever was in 1979 when Bird’s team lost to Michigan State. The Sycamores have only reached the Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen once, in 1979.

They Sycamores have reached the NCAA Tournament four times though in 1979, 2001, 2001 and 2011.

The Michigan State Spartans have another chance to add onto their legacy of basketball excellence this year as they are now in the Sweet 16 and set to play the Virginia Cavaliers on Friday, March 28 at 6:57 p.m. on TBS.

UCLA Bruins Win NCAA Championship

On March 26, 1973, the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship is decided as UCLA beats Memphis 81-76.

The win over Memphis in the NCAA Tournament marked the seventh straight National Championship the Bruins had won dating back to 1967, and the end of back-to-back perfect seasons.

The 1973 Championship also marked another highlight in the dynasty that John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins had amassed.

The win also came during UCLA’s record breaking winning streak, which started in 1971 and went through 1974 where the Bruins won 88 consecutive games.

Since the 1973 Championship, UCLA has gone on to win two more NCAA Championships in 1975 and 1995.

They were the NCAA Tournament runner up in 1980 and 2006. They reached the Final Four 18 times, including a 10-year span where they went every year; 1967-1976. Their last appearance came in 2008, when they were making their third consecutive appearance from 2006-2008.

The Bruins have reached the NCAA Tournament 45 times from 1950, including 20 straight years from 1962-1981.

The Bruins made the NCAA Tournament this year adding onto their historic legacy of basketball excellence in Westwood, and are facing the No. 1 overall seed Florida Gators at 6:40 p.m. on CBS.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Go Toe-To-Toe

On March 24, 1979,  Magic Johnson and Larry Bird lead their respective teams to the 1979 NCAA finals.  Magic’s Michigan State team would destroy Penn State by a score of 101-67, while Bird’s Indiana State would beat out DePaul 76-74.

Larry Bird (back left) watches Magic Johnson (right) take free throws in their 1979 NCAA tournament game.

Both Magic and Larry would have outstanding games in their respective semi-final games.  Magic registered a triple-double, with 29 points to go along with his 10 rebounds and 10 assists, as he was nearly perfect that day going 9-for-10 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line.  As for Bird, he would narrowly miss a triple-double of his own with 35 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Michigan State and Indiana State would go on to face each other in the NCAA championship game, as this would mark the beginning of one of sports’ biggest rivalries.

Magic Johnson (left) and Larry Bird (right) wait for a free throw shot in their 1979 NCAA tournament game.

Michigan State has a chance to add onto their NCAA Tournament resume this year, while Indiana State missed the cut.

Michigan State has compiled two NCAA Tournament championships in 1979 and 2000. They were the Tournament runner-up in 2009. The Spartans have reached the Final Four eight times including back-to-back-back appearances in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Their last appearance in the Final Four came in 2010. The Spartans have also reached the Elite Eight 11 times, the Sweet Sixteen 17 times, including four straight years from 1998-2001. Overall the Spartans have reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times, and is on their 17 consecutive appearance this year dating back to 1998.

While Michigan State won the NCAA Tournament in 1979, and again in 2000, Indiana State had never won the NCAA Tournament. Their highest finish ever was in 1979 when Bird’s team lost to Michigan State. The Sycamores have only reached the Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen once, in 1979.

They Sycamores have reached the NCAA Tournament four times though in 1979, 2001, 2001 and 2011.

Niagra Upsets Florida A&M

On March 13, 2007, University of Niagra defeats Florida A&M 77-69 in Dayton Ohio, in the tournament opener.

The Niagra Eagles Clif Brown after scoring a bucket in the game against Florida A&M.

The win for Niagra in the NCAA Tournament, albeit a “play-in” game, was the first win for Niagra in the tournament since 1970, so it was a big deal.

The hero on the night for the Eagles was Clif Brown, who helped the team to their 12 straight win, scoring 32 points on the night.

With the win Niagra moved on to play top-seeded Kansas in Chicago just a few days later.

The Eagles would end up falling to the Jay Hawks 107-67, but the Eagles would make history in the process winning the only “play-in” game that season, and getting a chance to make history in the NCAA Tournament.

Magic Johnson Reaching NBA Milestone

On March 7, 1996, NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson becomes the second NBA player to reach 10,000 career assists.

After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers.

He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s.

Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson (left) in 1991 backing down arguably the best player of all time, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan (right).

Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, where he was the MVP twice. He also earned nine All-NBA First and one Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game, at 11.2. He also led the NBA in steals twice in 1982-1983. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1980.

The Lakers retired his no. 32 jersey.

Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. After leaving the NBA in 1992, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Magic was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series were well documented.

Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur^, philanthropist^, broadcaster and motivational speaker.

Johnson was a part owner of the Lakers for several years, and was part of a group that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.

NCAA Selection Sunday

On March 7, 1982, that the NCAA Tournament Selection, also known as Selection Sunday, was first broadcast on live television.  Since then, a live broadcast of the event, which takes place the weekend before the tournament begins, has been used to inform each school of whether they have made it into the tournament, and where they will be seeded.

Both CBS and ESPN televise the selection process, however, CBS owns the official rights to cover the selection of the men’s tournament field as they broadcast the vast majority of the games.  What will happen, as a result, is CBS will announce each bracket first, followed by ESPN only seconds later.

The selection process for College basketball's NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships determines which teams (68 men's, 64 women's) will enter the tournaments (the centerpieces of the basketball championship frenzy known as "March Madness") and their seedings and matchups in the knockout bracket. Thirty-one teams gain automatic entry through winning their conference's championship (commonly through winning a conference tournament or, in the sole case of the Ivy League, the regular season title).

The remaining teams (37 men's, 33 women's) rely on the selection committee to award them an at-large bid in the tournament.

The selection process primarily takes place on Selection Sunday and the days leading up to it; Selection Sunday is also when the brackets and seeds are released to the public. (The women's championship brackets and seeds are announced one day later, on Selection Monday.)

The ten-member basketball selection committee is made up of athletic directors and conference commissioners throughout Division I men's and women's basketball. (There are separate committees for the Division I men's and women's tournaments.)

The committee, whose members serve 5-year terms, is chosen to ensure that conferences from around the country, both major and mid-major conferences, are represented. Generally the men's selection committee consists of all men, and the women's selection committee consists of all women, although there have been exceptions, including Lynn Hickey (see below), who is the 2nd woman to sit on the men's committee (after Charlotte athletic director Judy Rose, who served from 1999-2003), and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference commissioner Richard Ensor, who serves on the women's committee. The tournament selection is only part of the committee members' duties; the panel meets year-round (in-person or through conference calls) to discuss the tournament and its administration, evaluate teams, assign tournament game officials, and determine future tournament sites.

To avoid a potential conflict of interest, committee members must leave the room when their own school is being discussed--or schools in the case of the conference commissioners. The member may be invited to answer factual questions regarding their team (e.g. status of player injuries). An athletic director may be present when other schools from his or her conference are discussed, but he or she may only speak if asked.

The selection committee must first decide which teams will compete in the tournament. Thirty teams receive automatic bids to the tournament by winning their conference tournament; a thirty-first team gains automatic entry by winning the Ivy League's regular-season championship (as that conference does not conduct a championship tournament).

The only teams the selection committee selects are the 37 teams (33 for women) who receive at-large bids. Though each conference receives only one automatic bid, the selection committee can select any number of at-large teams from each conference. The at-large teams generally come from college basketball's top conferences, including the ACC, Atlantic-10, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, and SEC. Many of these at-large teams, however, are "on the bubble," meaning their chances of gaining a tournament berth are borderline, and they will not know if they have gained entry until they see their name during the Selection Sunday bracket announcements.

A number of teams essentially know that they are assured of an at-large berth no matter their performance in their conference tournament. Most teams in the Top 25 in the national polls or RPI are essentially guaranteed at-large berths even if they do not win their respective conference tournament.

However, teams that have been ranked heading into Selection Sunday, but didn't win their conference tournament, have been left out (or "snubbed") by the selection committee despite what the polls and pundits may say. The Missouri Valley Conference has received the most snubs (5 RPI top 40 teams excluded), with Missouri State left out each of the last 9 years, despite RPI's of 21, 34, and 36). Another famous snub was in 2004, when Utah State completed the regular season with a record of 25-2 but was snubbed after losing in its conference tournament, even though it was ranked in the polls at the time.

Selection Sunday this year in March 16.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Sets Scoring Record

On Feb. 5, 1989, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becomes first NBA player to score 38,000 points.

Since Abdul-Jabar scored 38,000 points only one other player, Karl Malone has come close to scoring as many points. However, Malone retired with the second most points all-time 36,928.

Kobe Bryant is the current active leader in points scored with 31,700. It would take Bryant another five years minimum to reach Jabar’s record.

He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season MVP Awards.

In college at UCLA, he played on three consecutive national championship teams, and his high school team won 71 consecutive games.

At the time of his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s all-time leader in points scored, games played, minutes played, field goals made, field goal attempts, blocked shots, defensive rebounds, and personal fouls.

Abdul-Jabbar also has been an actor, a basketball coach, and an author. In 2012, he was selected as a U.S. cultural ambassador.

UCLA Men's Basketball Sets Record

On Jan. 27, 1973, John Wooden and his UCLA Bruins men's basketball team broke the consecutive victories record in NCAA basketball Jan. 27, 1973.

Their 61st consecutive win was an 82-63 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame figured prominently into the eventual 88-game winning streak of the Bruins. Notre Dame was the last team to beat UCLA as the streak started.

They were also the next team to defeat Wooden's squad to end the streak at 88 games.

The 88 game win streak was the longest in history in any major North American professional sport or collegiate sport.

He would also coach four undefeated teams in 1964, 1967, 1972 and 1973. The 1972-1973 teams continued their unbeaten streak into 1974, which was 88 game win streak team.

John Wooden, nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period—seven in a row  – as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat.

Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games. Wooden was named national coach of the year six times.

Wooden would win 664 games in his career as a head coach and only lose 162, to have a winning percentage of .802 (just over 80 percent).

As a player, Wooden was the first to be named basketball All-American three times and he won a national championship at Purdue. Wooden was named a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (in 1973), the first person ever enshrined in both categories.

Only Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman have since had the same honor.

He was one of the most revered coaches and was beloved by his former players, among them Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.

Wooden was renowned for his short, simple inspirational messages to his players, including his "Pyramid of Success". These often were directed at how to be a success in life as well as in basketball.

In 2006 Wooden was part of the founding class for the College Basketball Hall of Fame, which is located in Kansas City, Mo.

Miami Dolphins Hire Jimmy Johnson

On Jan. 10, 1996, the Miami Dolphins announced Jimmy Johnson as their new head coach. 

Johnson replaced legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula, who’s tenure lasted 26 years with the Miami organization.

Before accepting the job with the Dolphins, Johnson led the Dallas Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 and 1993.  Despite all of his accomplishments with the Cowboys, Johnson and team owner Jerry Jones did not see eye to eye on many things, which ultimately led to coach Johnson’s departure. 

Jimmy Johnson also enjoyed success at the collegiate level, coaching the Miami Hurricanes to the 1987 NCAA Division I National Championship. 

At the start of his head coaching days in college he led Oklahoma State to a 29-26-2 record over five seasons and two bowl appearances. Most notably the 24-14 win over Baylor in the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1983.

He left Oklahoma State after rebuilding the program for the Hurricanes of the University of Miami.

In just a few short years Johnson led the Hurricanes to an NCAA National Championship victory in 1987 over Oklahoma.

Johnson left Miami in 1989 for the NFL and the Cowboys, but left Miami with an amazing record of 52-9, and 44-4 record over his final four seasons.

His entire NCAA record as a head coach was 81-34-3.

However, Johnson would not share similar success with the Dolphins, as he went 36-28 in the regular season and just 2-3 in the playoffs during his four-year stay in Miami.

Jimmy Johnson is currently working in television as an analyst for FOX NFL Sunday’s pregame show.  Although there are quite a few coaching opportunities available in the NFL this off-season, do not expect the 69-year-old Johnson to be filling any of those spots.

NCAA Allows Freshmen To Play

On Jan. 8, 1972, the NCAA announced that freshmen would be eligible to play on varsity teams.

Prior to this, freshmen were ineligible to play on varsity as they had their own league of play, freshman league.

There were some exceptions, most notably the waiver that was granted to the Marshall football team after their 1970 plane crash. But after this announcement, all schools could use freshmen on their football and basketball teams.

In August of 1973 the NCAA announced the creation of three separate divisions, which is the current three-division setup of Division I, Division II, and Division III.

Under NCAA rules, Division I and Division II schools can offer scholarships to athletes for playing a sport. Division III schools may not offer any athletic scholarships. Generally, larger schools compete in Division I and smaller schools in II and III.

Division I football was further divided into I-A and I-AA in 1978.

Subsequently the NCAA no longer officially uses the term “Division I-AAA” was briefly added to delineate Division I schools, which do not field a football program at all, but that term.

In 2006, Divisions I-A and I-AA were respectively renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Until the 1980s, the association did not offer women's athletics. Instead an organization named the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) governed women's collegiate sports in the United States. By 1982, however, all divisions of the NCAA offered national championship events for women's athletics and most members of the AIAW joined the NCAA.

As of 2008 if a freshman wants to play on an NCAA team the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) states that students must meet three requirements; graduate from high school, complete the minimum required academic courses, and have qualifying grade-point average (GPA) and SAT or ACT scores.

The 16 academic credits are four courses in English, two courses in math, two classes in social science, two in natural or physical science, and one additional course in English, math, natural or physical science, or another academic course such as foreign language.

To meet the requirements for grade point average and SAT scores students the lowest possible GPA a student may be eligible with is a 1.700 with an SAT score of 1400. The lowest SAT score a student may be eligible with is 700 with a GPA of 2.500.

As of 2011, a high school student may sign a letter of intent to enter and play football for a college only after the first Wednesday in February.

In August 2011, the NCAA announced plans to raise academic requirements for postseason competition, including its two most prominent competitions, football's Bowl Championship Series and the Men's Division I Basketball Championship; the new requirement, which are based on an "academic progress rate" that measures retention and graduation rates, and is calculated on a four-year, rolling basis. The changes raise the rate from 900 to 930, which represents a 50 percent graduation rate.

In 2009, Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada became the NCAA's first non-US member institution. 

In 2012 a freshman, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, won the Heisman Trophy. It was the first time in the history of the award that a freshman was given the honors.

In 2013 the trend continued with freshman winning the Heisman Trophy, as Jameis Winston of Florida State won the honors.

Sabres Win Streak Ends Against Flyers

On Jan. 6, 1980, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 to stretch their unbeaten streak to a record 35 games. The streak would end the following night against the Minnesota North Stars.

After losing their second game of the season on October 13, the Flyers went nearly three full months before losing again. The Flyers were strong for the entire regular season but fell short of winning the Stanley Cup.

The longest unbeaten streak in the four major North American sports between the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL is the Flyers record of 35. 

The second longest streak comes from the NBA as the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 consecutive games through the end of the 1971 season to the start of the 1972 season. 

Their 33 consecutive wins marks the longest win streak in the big four American sports.

The third best record comes from the MLB as the New York Baseball Giants, who won 26 consecutive games in the 1916 season from Sept. 7 through Sept. 30.

The longest streak in the NFL for a team going unbeaten is the New England Patriots who won 21 consecutive contests from Oct. 2003 through Oct. 2004.

History Of The Rose Bowl

On Jan. 1, 1902, the first Rose Bowl game is played as the Michigan Wolverines beat the Stanford Cardinal 49-0.

On Jan. 1, 1916, the first game is played at the Rose Bowl. The game takes place in Los Angeles, Calif. as the Washington State Cougars faced off against the Brown Bears.

The Washington State Cougars would beat the Brown Bears 14-0.

This would mark the first of the annually played games between a member of the Pac-8 (would change to Pac-10, and now Pac-12) and the Big Ten.

The Rose Bowl is always played on New Years Day unless that day is a Sunday, then it falls on Jan. 2.

The Rose Bowl is nicknamed "The Granddaddy of Them All" because it is the oldest bowl game. Since 1945, it has been the highest attended college football bowl game. It is a part of the Tournament of Roses "America's New Year Celebration", which also includes the historic Tournament of Roses Parade. Except in the years when the Rose Bowl served as the BCS National Championship Game, the Rose Bowl game has continued to be played in the afternoon.

In 1942 the Rose Bowl was moved to North Carolina.

After the United States declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, as part of the American reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor, there were concerns about a possible Japanese attack on the West Coast. 

Much discussion focused on the possibility of an attack where any crowds might gather. The Rose Parade, with a million watchers, and the Rose Bowl, with 90,000 spectators, were presumed to be ideal targets for the Japanese. Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt recommended that the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl festivities be canceled.

The Rose Bowl committee originally planned to cancel the game. On December 16, 1941, Duke University invited the game and Oregon State to Duke's home stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

In 2002 and 2006 (2001 and 2005 football seasons), the Rose Bowl game was also the BCS National Championship Game.

USC has appeared in and won the Rose Bowl the most times with 32 appearances and 24 wins, their last appearance was 2009. The second most appearances and wins comes from the Michigan Wolverines who have 20 appearances and eight wins, their last appearance was 2007.

The biggest point discrepancy in Rose Bowl history came in the first Rose Bowl in 1902 as the Michigan Wolverines beat the Stanford Cardinal 49-0, and in 1948 when the Wolverines beat the USC Trojans 49-0.

There have been five ties in the history of the Rose Bowl as Washington, Cal, Stanford, Alabama and Navy have all tied in the bowl game.

The most valuable player in the Rose Bowl game is given a crystal trophy that is the Rose Bowl Player of the Game Award. The award was created in 1953 and awarded retroactively for players all the way back to the 1902 Rose Bowl. 

Occasionally, the award has been shared by two players. Beginning with the 2005 Rose Bowl Game, the Rose Bowl Player of the Game Award has been given to both offensive and defensive players of the game.

USC has the most Rose Bowl Player of the Game Awards with 35 awards coming in 29 years in which USC made the Rose Bowl, including six awards from 2007-2009. Six years the Trojan had two players win trophies, and in 1963 and 1979 the Trojan split the awards with the Wisconsin badgers (‘63) and Michigan Wolverines (‘79).

The no.1 and no. 2 BCS ranked teams have faced off in the Rose Bowl three times. The first was in 1963 as no. 1 USC defeated no. 2 Wisconsin 42-37. 

The second time came in 1969 as no. 1 Ohio State defeated no. 2 USC 27-16. 

The third time was in 2006 as part of the BCS National Championship Game no. 2 Texas defeated no. 1 USC 41-38. Texas was voted national champion. (USC’s participation was later vacated as part of Reggie Bush being given money while at USC).

This years Rose Bowl Game features the Stanford Cardinal against the Michigan State Spartans. Last year the Cardinal beat the Wisconsin Badgers 20-14.

This marks the second time in school history that Stanford has played in back-to-back Rose Bowl’s.

The previous time came in 1971 and 1972, when the Cardinal beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 27-17, and the Michigan Wolverines 13-12.

Ashe Reaches The Top

On Dec. 12, 1968, Arthur Ashe becomes the first black to be ranked No. 1 in tennis.

But before Ashe was tennis’ No. 1 player, he excelled in college at UCLA.

In 1963, Ashe became the first black player ever selected for the United States Davis Cup team.

In 1965, Ashe won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) singles title and contributed to UCLA's winning the team NCAA tennis championship.

Ashe, an African American, was the first black player ever selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open.

In 1968, Ashe won the United States Amateur Championships against Davis Cup Teammate Bob Lutz, and the first US Open of the open era.

He also aided the U.S Davis Cup team to victory. He is the only player to have won both of these amateur and open national championships in the same year.

He won three Grand Slam titles before retiring in 1980, ranking him among the best tennis players from the United States.

Ashe remains the only black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open. He is one of only two men of black African ancestry to win any Grand Slam singles title, the other being France's Yannick Noah, who won the French Open in 1983.