Explaining the Tradition of College Basketball Teams Cutting Down Nets During March Madness

Blake Silverman | 22 Hours Ago

Michigan State's Holloman shows off a piece of the net he helped cut down while the Spartans celebrate the Big Ten title. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College basketball teams cutting down the net after a momentous victory is an iconic March Madness tradition. Players, coaches and everyone else who helped a program reach a new mountaintop get to climb up a tall ladder and take home a memento that symbolizes victory.

One coach is credited with starting the longstanding tradition which has turned into a March Madness staple. Now, the ceremonial cutting of the net is the culmination of the season-long journey college teams pour their lives into. The tradition is a symbolic mountaintop, this one is just at the top of a ladder next to a basketball hoop.

Just last week, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville coach Brain Barone broke out a pair of scissors he hung up in his team's locker room over six years ago. His Cougars won the Ohio Valley Conference championship game, qualifying for their first NCAA tournament since making the leap to Division I. To celebrate the trip to the Big Dance, SIU-Edwardsville cut down the nets with the same pair of scissors that stared upon them for years.

Cutting down the nets is a part of college basketball. Here's everything you need to know about who started the tradition, how it blew up and why it matters so much to teams:

When Did College Basketball Teams Start Cutting Down the Nets?

Everett Case, a legendary coach at NC State in the 1940s, is widely credited with starting the net-cutting tradition. He took over in 1946 and his Wolfpack team won the Southern Conference championship the following season.

After the conference tournament win, he wanted a souvenir from the moment. He sat atop his player's shoulders as he cut down the net so he could keep a piece. It started as an opportunity for players and coaches to take home a small token from their victory. Now, it's an opportunity for each member of a program to get much-deserved recognition from peers and fans. And still take home a piece of the victory, too.

Case spent 23 years coaching high school basketball in Indiana, where he may have first cut down nets before bringing the ceremony to the college game.

Why Do Teams Cut Down the Nets in March Madness?

Cutting down the nets now symbolizes accomplishment and the end of a hard-fought journey. In some instances, the journey isn't over. Teams cut down nets when they win their conference title, win their region to advance to the Final Four and of course, when they win a national title.

Although Case initially cut down the net at NC State because he wanted a keepsake, the tradition has evolved into a larger celebration. You often see walk-ons, team managers, assistants and other support staff eventually make their way on top of the ladder to cut a piece of the net. It's become a moment for all who played a part in the victory, no matter how big or small, to see their shine.

While wearing championship shirts and hats, a moment is shared with onlookers atop the ladder, an opportunity to exclaim joy before taking a piece of the net.

How Did Net-Cutting Become an NCAA Tournament Tradition?

Case is credited as the first to cut down the nets in the college game, a tradition that has now spread so big the NCAA championship now has an official ladder (Werner) and scissors (Fiskars). The tradition spread after NC State's Southern Conference title in 1947 where Case's players hoisted him to chop down the net for a souvenir.

From there, other programs caught wind and started celebrating their championship wins in the same fashion. Now, men's and women's teams across college and high school play cut down the net to culminate the end of an emotional journey. During March Madness, net cutting ceremonies are broadcast to display one of the most emotional moments throughout a season.

Which Teams Get to Cut Down the Nets?

It's not just NCAA tournament champions who cut down nets. Teams often cut down the net after a conference championship, regional title to advance to the Final Four and winning other postseason tournaments. Certainly the last team standing in March will cut down the net after their final game, but there are other opportunities along the way.

Some top teams have elected to hold on any net-cutting ceremonies until they met their ultimate goal of a national championship, though. Just last year, UConn's women's team decided to leave the net alone after they won their region in the NCAA tournament to advance to the Final Four. The Huskies fell short of their main goal with a difficult loss to Iowa in the Final Four, but taking down the nets after their regional win felt premature to the championship-minded squad.

Most Memorable Net-Cutting Moments in March Madness History

Ironically, the most memorable net-cutting moment in March Madness came from where it all began: NC State. After Case sparked the tradition when he cut the net following the school's conference title in 1947, legendary Wolfpack coach Jim Valvano was said to have his players practice cutting down the nets through his tenure in the 1980s.

Valvano thought the practice strategy would help his team envision themselves as winners, which would eventually manifest itself. In 1983, his NC State team made an impropable run to win the NCAA tournament as a six-seed. They one the title game off a buzzer-beating dunk, which famously sent Valvano running around the court to celebrate one of the greatest college basketball games ever. The late legendary coach's non-basketball practice paid off. And they were prepared for the championship celebration.

The year before, Michael Jordan got to cut down the net as his North Carolina Tar Heels team celebrated the 1982 title. The moment was legendary coach Dean Smith's first title, while basketball legend James Worthy was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies have cut down the nets after winning back-to-back titles the past two seasons. Following the 2024 tournament, big man Donovan Clingan didn't even need the ladder to get his piece.

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