1981 NCAA Championship Game

The complete game without commercial interruption in full screen digital video.

March 30, 1981 and the Championship that almost wasn't! On the day of the big game, Ronald Reagan is critically wounded in an assassination attempt. NCAA officials, as well as broadcasters, struggle to decide if the game should be postponed. When hospital officials ensured that the President would pull through, the Championship was on!

North Carolina and Coach Dean Smith had already defeated the Hoosiers earlier in the season and were looking to do the same again. Indiana, led by wunderkind Isiah Thomas, was riding high as they won the Big Ten title and blew through their previous NCAA Tournament foes.

Coach Knight and the Hoosiers were off to a sluggish start in the first half. They overcame deficit after deficit with some uncanny shooting from Randy Wittman and were able to secure their first lead as they head into halftime.

The second half, however, was all about the Hoosiers. Tar Heels' James Worthy, Al Wood and Freshman Sam Perkins were no match for the heroics of Isiah Thomas who scored 19 points and had four steals in the second half alone! Indiana also held tight defensively; holding North Carolina to 36% shooting from the field.

Amid all the emotion and controversy surrounding the 1981 Championship game, Indiana pulled away in the second half. Now is your chance to own a bit of basketball history as the Hoosiers capture their second national title under coach Bobby Knight!