NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Play-In Game
Encyclopedia
The Opening Round game, of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
was the first official game of the tournament, played between two of the lowest-seeded teams to qualify for an automatic bid to the tournament. Beginning in 2001, the game was typically played on the Tuesday following the Sunday selection of the other teams for the March tournament and was played at University of Dayton Arena
in Dayton, Ohio
. The winner of the game was awarded the #16 seeded position in one of four regions of the tournament and next played the #1 seeded team of that region on the following Friday. No winner of that game, nor any other #16 seed, has upset the #1 seeded team. However, three of the top seeds to beat the opening game winner advanced to the national championship game and all three won the national championship (2002 Maryland
, 2005 North Carolina
and 2010 Duke
). North Carolina was the only #1 seeded team matched against the opening round winner more than once (2005 & 2008). On April 22, 2010, the NCAA announced that the tournament would expand to 68 teams, with four "Play-In Games" beginning with the 2011 tournament
. Consequently, the uniqueness of the single, opening round game lasted from 2001-2010.
, which had been formed in 1999 following the split of the Western Athletic Conference
, was given an automatic bid for its conference champion, which made it the 31st conference to receive an automatic berth into the men's tournament. Unlike the women's tournament
, which accommodated this change by eliminating an at-large bid to keep their field at 64 teams, the organizers of the men's tournament elected to keep their at-large entries at 34. In order to eliminate one of the teams to have a 64-team bracket, it became necessary for another game to be played between the two lowest-ranked teams among the automatic bid leagues.
coach Jim Boeheim
had advocated for an expansion of the tournament from 65 to 76 teams, which would include four opening round games for all of the 16th and possibly added opening round games for the 15th seeded teams too. The expansion of play in games faced logistical challenges and lukewarm acceptance from deceased NCAA President Myles Brand
and the corporate and media partners of the NCAA, but on April 22, the NCAA, as part of an announcement of a new 14-year, US $
10.8 billion agreement between CBS Sports
and TimeWarner's Turner Sports
division that will include three more "play-in games", subject to the approval of the NCAA Executive Committee.
The opening round games have also been criticized as a handicap for teams among the historically black colleges and universities
. In all but one of the games played from 2001–10, at least one of the teams has been an HBCU. However, the two conferences which are made up of HBCUs, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
and Southwestern Athletic Conference
, are often two of the lowest-rated conferences in the RPI
.
Prior to the announcement of the new contract for television, ESPN
carried the Opening Round game and has done so since 2002. The National Network (TNN, formerly known as The Nashville Network and now called Spike), at the time a corporate sibling of NCAA Tournament carrier CBS, aired the first game in 2001.
Florida A&M (2004 & 2007) and Winthrop (2001 & 2010) are the only teams to appear in the game more than once. The 2003 game is the only one to end in overtime.
In 2011, the broadcast media began calling these games "The First Four" (as opposed to the "Final Four"); and, also used the term "first round games" interchangeably with "opening round games." Formerly, the term "first round game" specifically referred to the first games played by the final 64 teams, not the teams in the opening round. These games are now known as "second round games," resulting in some confusion for those more accustomed to the round being known as the "first round" and the "second round" being used for the regional quarterfinals (field of 32).
2011: On March 15, UNC-Asheville
(UNCA) defeated UA-Little Rock
(UALR) 81-77 in overtime, advancing to the #16 seed in the Southeast Region to face #1 seeded Pittsburgh
. Interestingly, at the time, UNCA had been involved in the only other opening round game to end in overtime in 2003. In the East Region, Clemson
defeated UAB
70-52, advancing to the #12 seed to face #5 seeded West Virginia
. On March 16, also in the East Region, UT-San Antonio
defeated Alabama State
70-61, advancing to the #16 seed to play #1 seeded Ohio State
. In the Southwest Region, VCU
defeated USC
59-46, advancing to the #11 seed to face #6 seeded Georgetown
. VCU ultimately advanced to the Final Four becoming the first opening round winner to compete beyond its second game.
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
was the first official game of the tournament, played between two of the lowest-seeded teams to qualify for an automatic bid to the tournament. Beginning in 2001, the game was typically played on the Tuesday following the Sunday selection of the other teams for the March tournament and was played at University of Dayton Arena
University of Dayton Arena
University of Dayton Arena is a 13,455-seat multi-purpose arena in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams....
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. The winner of the game was awarded the #16 seeded position in one of four regions of the tournament and next played the #1 seeded team of that region on the following Friday. No winner of that game, nor any other #16 seed, has upset the #1 seeded team. However, three of the top seeds to beat the opening game winner advanced to the national championship game and all three won the national championship (2002 Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, 2005 North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
and 2010 Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
). North Carolina was the only #1 seeded team matched against the opening round winner more than once (2005 & 2008). On April 22, 2010, the NCAA announced that the tournament would expand to 68 teams, with four "Play-In Games" beginning with the 2011 tournament
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
. Consequently, the uniqueness of the single, opening round game lasted from 2001-2010.
History
The game was conceived after the Mountain West ConferenceMountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
, which had been formed in 1999 following the split of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, was given an automatic bid for its conference champion, which made it the 31st conference to receive an automatic berth into the men's tournament. Unlike the women's tournament
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
, which accommodated this change by eliminating an at-large bid to keep their field at 64 teams, the organizers of the men's tournament elected to keep their at-large entries at 34. In order to eliminate one of the teams to have a 64-team bracket, it became necessary for another game to be played between the two lowest-ranked teams among the automatic bid leagues.
Criticism
Although analysts’ initial reactions to the concept were skeptical, the first game, played on March 13, 2001, was a success, and few complaints have been heard since. One reason for these positive comments is the fact that the game has played on a Tuesday night, during which no other games are played (the first round of the tournament starts the following Thursday). Thus, the opening round game assumes a greater prominence than most first-round games, both to the viewing public and to scouts. Prior to the proposal of expansion, Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
coach Jim Boeheim
Jim Boeheim
James Arthur "Jim" Boeheim is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Syracuse University. Boeheim has guided the Orange to eight Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three appearances in the national...
had advocated for an expansion of the tournament from 65 to 76 teams, which would include four opening round games for all of the 16th and possibly added opening round games for the 15th seeded teams too. The expansion of play in games faced logistical challenges and lukewarm acceptance from deceased NCAA President Myles Brand
Myles Brand
Myles Neil Brand, Ph. D. was the 14th president of the University of Oregon, president of the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association , and 16th president of Indiana University.-Personal life:...
and the corporate and media partners of the NCAA, but on April 22, the NCAA, as part of an announcement of a new 14-year, US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10.8 billion agreement between CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
and TimeWarner's Turner Sports
Turner Sports
Turner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
division that will include three more "play-in games", subject to the approval of the NCAA Executive Committee.
The opening round games have also been criticized as a handicap for teams among the historically black colleges and universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. In all but one of the games played from 2001–10, at least one of the teams has been an HBCU. However, the two conferences which are made up of HBCUs, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States...
and Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
, are often two of the lowest-rated conferences in the RPI
Ratings Percentage Index
The Rating Percentage Index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule. It is one of the systems by which NCAA basketball and baseball teams are ranked...
.
Prior to the announcement of the new contract for television, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
carried the Opening Round game and has done so since 2002. The National Network (TNN, formerly known as The Nashville Network and now called Spike), at the time a corporate sibling of NCAA Tournament carrier CBS, aired the first game in 2001.
Florida A&M (2004 & 2007) and Winthrop (2001 & 2010) are the only teams to appear in the game more than once. The 2003 game is the only one to end in overtime.
Opening Round or Play-In Game
The reason the game is not officially referred to as a "play-in" is because the two teams are officially in the tournament before the game is played. As recently as 1991, the NCAA has conducted play-in games (usually between champions of what were considered to be the weakest conferences) prior to the announcement of the brackets; the losers were not considered to have been in the tournament. Note that the losers of the current opening round game are still credited with a tournament appearance for purposes of sharing in the NCAA basketball contract revenues, while the winners receives a share for being in the round of 64. Consequently, in 2001, Northwestern State technically became the first #16 seeded team to have a win in the men's NCAA tournament by virtue of the team's opening round victory.Additional Games
Although the new format, beginning in 2011, expands to four opening round games, not all games necessarily feed into a #16 seed for the winner; nor, does each of the four regions necessarily have an opening round game. In 2011, for example, the East Region featured two opening round games and the West Region featured none. Also, the winners in two of the openers were awarded a #11 seed and #12 seed, respectively, in their designated region.In 2011, the broadcast media began calling these games "The First Four" (as opposed to the "Final Four"); and, also used the term "first round games" interchangeably with "opening round games." Formerly, the term "first round game" specifically referred to the first games played by the final 64 teams, not the teams in the opening round. These games are now known as "second round games," resulting in some confusion for those more accustomed to the round being known as the "first round" and the "second round" being used for the regional quarterfinals (field of 32).
Single Game Results (2001 - 2010)
| Denotes that team went on to win the national championship | |
| Game went into overtime |
| Year | Date | Winner | Loser | #1 seed faced | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 2001 with the play-in game, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in... |
March 13 | Northwestern State Northwestern State University Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as... |
71 | Winthrop Winthrop University Winthrop University is a public, four-year liberal arts university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. In 2006-07, Winthrop University had an enrollment of 6,292 students. The University has been recognized as South Carolina's top-rated university according to evaluations conducted by the South... |
67 | Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign.... |
| 2002 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia... |
March 12 | Siena Siena Saints men's basketball The Siena Saints men's basketball team represents Siena College in Loudonville, New York, United States. The Division I program competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Saints are coached by Mitch Buonaguro who just completed his first season as head coach at Siena after serving as... |
81 | Alcorn State Alcorn State University Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:... |
77 | Maryland |
| 2003 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
March 18 | UNC Asheville University of North Carolina at Asheville The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a co-educational, four year, public liberal arts university. The university is also known as UNC Asheville. Located in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, UNCA is the only designated liberal arts institution in the University of North... |
92 | Texas Southern Texas Southern University Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States.... |
84* | Texas Texas Longhorns men's basketball, 2000-2008 -Notes and references:... |
| 2004 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,... |
March 16 | Florida A&M Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida... |
72 | Lehigh Lehigh Mountain Hawks The Lehigh Mountain Hawks are the athletic teams representing Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. The Hawks participate in NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Patriot League... |
57 | Kentucky Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647... |
| 2005 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St... |
March 15 | Oakland Oakland Golden Grizzlies men's basketball The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are the men's basketball team that represent Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, USA. The school's team competes in The Summit League and plays their home games at the Athletics Center O'Rena. The Golden Grizzlies are coached by Greg Kampe... |
79 | Alabama A&M Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as Alabama A&M University or AAMU, is a public, historically black university, Land-grant university located in Normal, Madison County, Alabama.... |
69 | North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history... |
| 2006 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season... |
March 14 | Monmouth Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter.... |
71 | Hampton Hampton University Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia, United States. It was founded by black and white leaders of the American Missionary Association after the American Civil War to provide education to freedmen.-History:... |
49 | Villanova Villanova Wildcats men's basketball This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA... |
| 2007 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season... |
March 13 | Niagara Niagara University Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by... |
77 | Florida A&M Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, commonly known as Florida A&M or FAMU, is a historically black university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, the state capital, and is one of eleven member institutions of the State University System of Florida... |
69 | Kansas 2006-07 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team The 2006–07 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas Jayhawks for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball season of 2006–2007. The team was led by Bill Self in his fourth season as head coach... |
| 2008 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season... |
March 18 | Mount St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's basketball The Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Northeast Conference. The team's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball... |
69 | Coppin State Coppin State University Coppin State University is a historically black college located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is part of the University System of Maryland... |
60 | North Carolina 2007-08 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team The 2007–08 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Roy Williams... |
| 2009 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT.... |
March 17 | Morehead State Morehead State University Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S... |
58 | Alabama State Alabama State University Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :... |
43 | Louisville 2008–09 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team The 2008–09 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of Louisville in basketball. The team was coached by Rick Pitino in his eighth year at the school... |
| 2010 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's... |
March 16 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 61 | Winthrop Winthrop Eagles men's basketball The Winthrop Eagles basketball team represents Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina and competes in the Big South Conference. The Eagles are currently coached by Randy Peele and play their home games in the 6,100 seat Winthrop Coliseum. Winthrop has appeared in nine NCAA Tournaments... |
44 | Duke 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led... |
Appearances by conference
| Conference | Appearances | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| SWAC Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States... |
5 | 1 |
| MEAC Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States... |
4 | 1 |
| Big South Big South Conference The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision... |
3 | 1 |
| MAAC Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider... |
2 | 2 |
| NEC Northeast Conference The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro... |
2 | 2 |
| Ohio Valley Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I... |
1 | 1 |
| Patriot League Patriot League The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision... |
1 | 0 |
| Southland Southland Conference The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision... |
1 | 1 |
| Summit League | 1 | 1 |
Results Since 2011
The results of the opening round games since the tournament's expansion to four games is as follows:2011: On March 15, UNC-Asheville
University of North Carolina at Asheville
The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a co-educational, four year, public liberal arts university. The university is also known as UNC Asheville. Located in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, UNCA is the only designated liberal arts institution in the University of North...
(UNCA) defeated UA-Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas at Little Rock , is a public research university located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, and the second largest university by enrollment in the state of Arkansas....
(UALR) 81-77 in overtime, advancing to the #16 seed in the Southeast Region to face #1 seeded Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. Interestingly, at the time, UNCA had been involved in the only other opening round game to end in overtime in 2003. In the East Region, Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
defeated UAB
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
70-52, advancing to the #12 seed to face #5 seeded West Virginia
University of West Virginia
The University of West Virginia was an educational authority formed by the West Virginia Legislature on July 1, 1989, to oversee the operation of the state's graduate and doctoral degree-granting institutions. It was abolished on June 30, 2000...
. On March 16, also in the East Region, UT-San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
defeated Alabama State
Alabama State University
Alabama State University, founded 1867, is a historically black university located in Montgomery, Alabama. ASU is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- History :...
70-61, advancing to the #16 seed to play #1 seeded Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. In the Southwest Region, VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
defeated USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
59-46, advancing to the #11 seed to face #6 seeded Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. VCU ultimately advanced to the Final Four becoming the first opening round winner to compete beyond its second game.