7 most watched college basketball games ever ft. Bird vs. Magic, Duke vs. the Fab Five and more

Modified Feb 28, 2024 18:03 GMT

Legends Magic Johnson (left) and Larry Bird (far right, with Reggie Miller) faced off in the most viewed game in college basketball history.

While college basketball constantly gains popularity, the most viewed games in the history of the sport took place between 30 and 45 years ago.

Whether it's because of the wealth of channels, the rise of streaming or the lack of four-year players. the facts are clear. Here are college basketball's most watched games, and not shocking, they are all national championship games.

Seven most watched college basketball games ever

Shown here in 2016, former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino won one of the most-watched games ever in the 1985 NCAA title game.

#7 1985 NCAA Championship, Villanova vs. Georgetown, 31.23 million

On paper, Georgetown and Villanova looked like a mismatch. The Hoyas of John Thompson and Patrick Ewing dominated college basketball.

Conventional wisdom was that Villanova had to play a near-perfect game to win. And they did, shooting 75% to pull off a 66-64 upset of Georgetown before a massive audience.

#6 1987 NCAA Championship, Indiana vs. Syracuse, 32.06 million

Arguably the peak moment of Bobby Knight's career, the 1987 title game saw Knight win his third (and last) NCAA crown.

A Keith Smart baseline jumper in the final seconds gave Indiana a 74-73 win over Syracuse and Derrick Coleman. Over 32 million viewers were witness to an instant classic.

#5 1983 NCAA Championship, NC State vs. Houston, 32.14 million

College basketball fans love upsets, and 1983's title game was a massive one. Jim Valvano's underdog NC State Wolfpack somehow outlasted Houston, with Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.

Lorenzo Charles's last-second dunk sealed a 54-52 NC State win, starting one of the most memorable postgame celebrations in sports history.

#4 1994 NCAA Championship, Arkansas vs. Duke, 32.73 million

Grant Hill had already won two national titles at Duke but nearly pulled off a third one before Arkansas pulled it off.

The Razorbacks, with Nolan Richardson's "40 Minutes of Hell" defense, pulled off the 76-72 victory. Corliss Williamson and Scottie Thurman led a tremendous Arkansas team.

#3 1993 NCAA Championship, UNC vs. Michigan, 32.94 million

In their final game together, Michigan's Fab Five came very close to an NCAA title. But in the final seconds, Chris Webber called a timeout that UM didn't have, and North Carolina won a 77-71 decision. Dean Smith's Tar Heels had all the answers that night.

#2 1992 NCAA Championship, Duke vs. Michigan, 34.31 million

The Fab Five didn't win a title but played two of the three most watched games in college basketball history.

Defending champion Duke and Christian Laettner held off UM easily, winning 71-51. Coach K's second title team took control of the game late and outlasted Michigan's freshmen.

#1 1979 NCAA Championship, Michigan State vs. Indiana State, 35.11 million

The most watched game ever had it all. Stars? Magic and Bird. An underdog? An unknown Indiana State team having a perfect season. A dominant champion?

Michigan State had Magic and Greg Kelser. Bird had a poor shooting game as Michigan State won 75-64, setting the stage for a decade or so of Magic-Bird NBA battles.

Any surprises on the list of most watched games? Can the NCAA crown ever draw over 31 million viewers again? We'd love to hear your thoughts below.