The ''NCAA Basketball'' (formerly ''NCAA March Madness'') series was a college basketball game which was published by EA Sports from 1998 until 2009. After EA Sports' rival publisher 2K Sports cancelled its own college basketball game, College Hoops, in 2008, EA changed the name of the series from ''NCAA March Madness'' to ''NCAA College Basketball''. The series was discontinued on February 10, 2010. It was released on PlayStation (console), PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox (console), Xbox, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Like other games based on National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA sports, it could not feature the players' names (as that is against NCAA policy/rules), so only the players' numbers were used in the rosters. Users were able to edit the rosters, putting in the correct names for each team if they wished to do so. Many player last names were built into the in-game commentary, like in NBA Live (video game series), the ''NBA Live'' series. Verne Lundquist, Brad Nessler, and Gus Johnson (sportscaster), Gus Johnson lent their voices for play-by-play in the games at various times. Lundquist was the original announcer, with Nessler taking over in the mid-2000s and Johnson joining him for the most recent game in the series. Bill Raftery and Dick Vitale were analysts. Raftery originally worked with Lundquist on their games and returned to work alongside Johnson for CBS-branded games in ''NCAA Basketball 10'', while Vitale and Nessler joined the series at the same time.

Games

''NCAA March Madness 98''

''NCAA March Madness 98'' is the 1997 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on February 28, 1998 for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation. Former Wake Forest University, Wake Forest player and retired San Antonio Spurs player Tim Duncan the now Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 99''

''NCAA March Madness 99'' is the 1998 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on December 18, 1998 for the PlayStation. Former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina player Antawn Jamison is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 2000''

''NCAA March Madness 2000'' is the 1999 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released in December 1999 for the PlayStation. Former University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland player Steve Francis is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 2001''

''NCAA March Madness 2001'' is the 2000 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on December 7, 2000 for PlayStation. Former University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati and NBA player Kenyon Martin is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 2002''

''NCAA March Madness 2002'' is the 2001 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on January 9, 2002 for PlayStation 2. Former Duke University, Duke player and former Miami Heat player Shane Battier is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 2003''

''NCAA March Madness 2003'' is the 2002 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on November 21, 2002 for PlayStation 2. Former University of Kansas, Kansas Kansas Jayhawks, Jayhawks player Drew Gooden is featured on the cover. The game's cover shows deformities within the artwork.

''NCAA March Madness 2004''

''NCAA March Madness 2004'' is the 2003 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on November 17, 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox (console), Xbox. Former Syracuse University, Syracuse player Carmelo Anthony is featured on the cover. Commentary is done by Brad Nessler and "Mr. College Basketball" Dick Vitale as he is introduced in the game. This is the first time the player can pick their favorite school and the menus are stylized in the school's colors and a cheerleader or mascot can appear on the main menu while playing the school's fight song. The game plays similar to ''NBA Live 2004''.

''NCAA March Madness 2005''

''NCAA March Madness 2005'' is the 2004 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on November 16, 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Former University of Connecticut, Connecticut player, Charlotte Bobcats player, New Orleans Hornets player, Washington Wizards player, and New Orleans Pelicans player and current NBA free agent player Emeka Okafor is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 06''

''NCAA March Madness 06'' is the 2005 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on October 12, 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Former Oklahoma City Thunder player Raymond Felton is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 07''

''NCAA March Madness 07'' is the 2006 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on January 17, 2007 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. Former Gonzaga University, Gonzaga player Adam Morrison is featured on the cover.

''NCAA March Madness 08''

''NCAA March Madness 08'' is the 2007 installment in the ''NCAA March Madness'' series. It was released on December 11, 2007 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360. Former University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas and current Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is featured on the cover. It was the only ''March Madness'' game to debut for the PlayStation 3 until the name change.

''NCAA Basketball 09''

''NCAA Basketball 09'' is the 2008 installment in the NCAA College Basketball series. It was released on November 17, 2008 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360. The cover featured former UCLA, Minnesota Timberwolves and current Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love.

''NCAA Basketball 10''

''NCAA Basketball 10'' is a basketball video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It was released November 17, 2009 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Former University of Oklahoma and current Boston Celtics forward Blake Griffin was featured on the cover. The ''NCAA Basketball'' series was discontinued after ''NCAA Basketball 10''.

Cover Athletes

Discontinuation of ''NCAA Basketball Series''

The video game series had used likenesses of college athletes, threatening their amateur statuses. The amateur rules of collegiate sports overruled any claim that the athletes had towards compensation based on the ''Likeness Licensing Litigation;'' there is a contractual agreement made when scholarships are given out to do this.