4 memorable losses part of Indy’s Final Four hosting legacy

The men’s Final Four returns to Indianapolis for ninth time on April 4 and 6, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium. On Saturday night, Illinois plays Connecticut, followed by Michigan vs. Arizona, and the winners meet Monday night for the national championship.

Duke — which suffered a crushing loss to UConn in a regional final this year — has won three titles in Indianapolis. Michigan State earned the Big Ten’s most recent championship at the RCA Dome in 2000. The next-to-last third-place game took place at Market Square Arena in 1980. One championship game here went to overtime.

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Two teams came to Indianapolis with a chance to become the first undefeated team since Indiana in 1976, but neither could finish the job.

Here are most memorable moments in Indianapolis’ Final Four history.

Who made it to Indy for Final Four?: March Madness schedule, where to watch, tickets, NCAA bracket

1991: Duke beats undefeated UNLV

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels looked invincible coming into the 1991 Final Four. The same group that won the ’90 championship — led by Larry Johnson, Anderson Hunt, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony — largely ran roughshod over their Big West schedule.

They came to the Hoosier Dome to play Duke — which they had beaten by 30 points in the 1990 title game — in the semifinal. For the first time all season, they faced pressure to hold a lead in the final minute, and they couldn’t.

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Duke went on to beat Kansas in the championship game.

1997: Arizona interrupts a Kentucky dynasty

Mike Bibby’s 30 points lifted the Arizona Wildcats to an 84-79 overtime victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in the 1997 championship game, interrupting what could have been a Kentucky three-peat. Kentucky, which extended the game by rallying from a 4-point deficit in the last minute of regulation, won the 1996 and ’98 titles.

2010: Gordon Hayward’s shot rims out

It may be the most famous missed shot in college basketball history.

Butler’s Gordon Hayward heaved a halfcourt shot that hit the…

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Publish date : 2026-04-02 13:00:00

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