| National championship game | |||||||||||||
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| Date | March 27, 1971[3] | ||||||||||||
| Venue | Astrodome, Houston, Texas | ||||||||||||
| MVP | Howard Porter, Villanova (vacated)[4] | ||||||||||||
| Favorite | UCLA | ||||||||||||
| Attendance | 31,765[5] | ||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||
| Announcers | Curt Gowdy and Tom Hawkins | ||||||||||||
The 1971 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1970-71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The game was played on March 27, 1971, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas and featured the four-time defending national champion UCLA Bruins of the Pacific-8 Conference, and the independent Villanova Wildcats.
The Bruins narrowly defeated the Wildcats to win their fifth consecutive national championship. However, the Wildcats would later vacate their appearance in the title game due to issues with the eligibility of Howard Porter.
- ^ "Campus Publications and Media". Publications.villanova.edu. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ 23 of Villanova’s wins were later vacated after an investigation into the eligibility of Howard Porter.[1]
- ^ "Villanova vs. UCLA Box Score (Men), March 27, 1971". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Smith Barrier, "Unusual West Coast Watch Factory – They Don't Make Any, Just Win Them", 1972 Official Collegiate Basketball Guide, Published by College Athletics Publishing Service