The 1994
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
involved 64 schools in
single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
college basketball
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the
championship game at
Charlotte Coliseum in
Charlotte,
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, on April 4, 1994. The tournament consisted of 63 games.
The Final Four consisted of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, making its fifth trip and first since 1990, Arizona,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, making its first trip, and
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, making its sixth trip in the last seven tournaments.
In the national championship game, Arkansas defeated Duke by a score of 76–72 and won its first-ever national championship.
Schedule and venues
The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1994 tournament:
First and Second Rounds
*March 17 and 19
**East Region
***
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, on Long Island. The venue is situated approximately east of the eastern limits of the borough of Queens in New York City, a ...
,
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...
(Hosts:
St. John's University,
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
)
**Midwest Region
***
Kansas Coliseum
Kansas Coliseum was an entertainment complex in unincorporated Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It was located north of Wichita, Kansas, Wichita at the intersection of Interstate 135 and 85th Street North.
It hosted sporting events, con ...
,
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...
(Host:
Wichita State University
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
)
**Southeast Region
***
Rupp Arena,
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...
(Host:
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...
)
**West Region
***
Dee Events Center
Dee Events Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the Western United States, western United States, located on the campus of Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, Ogden, Utah. The circular, 11,592-seat domed arena, similar in design to many of ...
,
Ogden, Utah
Ogden ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the United States Census ...
(Host:
Weber State University
Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy and earned its current name in 1991.
As of fall 2023, the student population reached 30,536 students, cons ...
)
*March 18 and 20
**East Region
***
USAir Arena,
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 25,998.
Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the ...
(Host:
George Mason University
George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...
)
**Midwest Region
***
Myriad Convention Center
Prairie Surf Studios (originally Myriad Convention Center and later Cox Convention Center) is a Filmmaking, film production complex located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was formerly a convention center and the home of several minor lea ...
,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
(Host:
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
)
**Southeast Region
***
Thunderdome,
St. Petersburg, Florida (Host:
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...
)
**West Region
***
ARCO Arena,
Sacramento, California
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
(Hosts:
University of the Pacific,
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
)
Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
*March 24 and 26
**Southeast Regional,
Thompson–Boling Arena,
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
(Hosts:
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
,
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
)
**West Regional,
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena,
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
(Hosts:
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
,
Pacific-10 Conference)
*March 25 and 27
**East Regional,
Miami Arena,
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
(Host:
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
)
**Midwest Regional,
Reunion Arena
Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...
,
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
(Host:
Southwest Conference
The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference also included schools from Oklaho ...
)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
*April 2 and 4
**
Charlotte Coliseum,
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
(Host:
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
)
Teams
There were 30 automatic bids awarded to the tournament - of these, 27 were given to the winners of their conference's tournament, while three were awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in their conference (
Big Ten,
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
and
Pac-10).
Three conferences, the
East Coast Conference
The East Coast Conference (ECC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located primarily in the state of New York, with a single ...
,
Great Midwest Conference, and
Midwestern Collegiate Conference,
did not receive automatic bids to the tournament.
Four conference champions made their first NCAA tournament appearances:
Liberty
Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...
(
Big South),
Loyola (MD) (
MAAC),
Southwest Texas State (
Southland), and
UCF (
TAAC). Additionally,
College of Charleston received an at-large bid for its first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Automatic qualifiers
Tournament seeds
Bracket
East Regional – Miami, Florida
Southeast Regional – Knoxville, Tennessee
Midwest Regional – Dallas, Texas
West Regional – Los Angeles, California
Minnesota vacated its NCAA Tournament appearance from the 1993–94 season due to an
academic fraud scandal. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Minnesota removing the wins from its own record.
West Region First round
West Region Second Round
Final Four – Charlotte, North Carolina
Broadcast information
On television,
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...
covered all 63 games of the tournament, with regional splits until the Regional Finals followed by national telecasts.
Exclusive national radio coverage was provided by
CBS Radio Sports.
CBS announcers
*
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
or
Jim Nantz and
Billy Packer – Brown/Packer, First & Second Round at Uniondale, New York; Nantz/Packer, Midwest Regional at Dallas, Texas; Final Four at Charlotte, North Carolina
*
Dick Stockton and
Al McGuire – First & Second Round at Lexington, Kentucky; West Regional at Los Angeles
*
Greg Gumbel/
Bill Raftery/
Lesley Visser – First & Second Round at Landover, Maryland; Southeast Regional at Knoxville, Tennessee
*
Verne Lundquist and
Dan Bonner or
Clark Kellogg – Lundquist/Bonner, First & Second Round at St. Petersburg, Florida; Lundquist/Kellogg, East Regional at Miami
*
Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough (born May 13, 1962) is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. McDonough has play-by-play experience for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States an ...
and
Derrek Dickey – First & Second Round at Wichita, Kansas
*
Ted Robinson and
Greg Kelser – First & Second Round at Oklahoma City
*
Tim Ryan and
Ann Meyers – First & Second Round at Ogden, Utah
*
Dave Sims and
Larry Farmer – First & Second Round at Sacramento, California
Local radio
See also
*
1994 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
*
1994 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
*
1994 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
*
1994 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
*
1994 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
*
1994 National Invitation Tournament
*
1994 National Women's Invitation Tournament
*
1994 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
*
1994 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament
*
1994 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
*
NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Championship
References
{{1994 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball navbox
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
Ncaa
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division I level ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
Basketball competitions in Charlotte, North Carolina
College basketball tournaments in North Carolina