Northwestern's unique tournament history
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Wed, 4 Apr 2012|
Northwestern has never made the NCAA tournament, but they have a major part of its history as the host of the first ever NCAA tournament title game 75 years ago - 4/3
Transcript
75 years ago March Madness didn't exist. There was no one shining moment or even a national championship. And in 1939. August Allen led a group of coaches hoping to crown a true king of the country. And the first NCAA -- it was formed. With the title game in Evanston Illinois. At Northwestern's original Patten gym. When James Patton who was a trustee in America Evanston and it's a commodities trader made a lot of money. He donated the money in 1907 for the building of pat gym which opened in nineteen on line and he said I don't -- called after me don't call pat -- is called the Northwestern University gymnasium. So if you look at pictures of the original -- jam it says in fact. At northwestern don't you know university gymnasium. But in immediately start being cold pack everybody called the Patten and even took more to the point that you statues outside which allegorical we're known as pat and Jim. There were just eight teams in that first -- at Ohio State met organ in the championship. The ducks were then known as the web forts and that tall first. And just over 5000. Fans filled the gym with -- dirt floor and removable hard work court. And -- piece of dust that would rise from the floor from -- walking around. Until you can hardly see the stands across the way soldier on Northwestern's campus this is actually the land where the first NCAA title game was once played. I like getting big event there was a halftime show. And a special -- They brought in the founder of basketball doctor James Mason who was still alive from Massachusetts and invented the game in what 1890 something and in the halftime. They actually set up peach baskets -- as was demonstrated to the crowd how basketball how he would invented the game and how was originally played. When the dust had settled or get left with their first and only NCAA championship. 84633. Win. Tournament officials had piled up a net loss of more than 2500. Dollars. While northwestern had their piece of NCAA history. Books got -- Comcast sports net.





















