Texas Western beats Kentucky in 1966 NCAA tournament final

Though the change did not occur immediately, in the years that followed this game, basketball teams quickly became integrated. Between 1966 and 1985, the average number of black players doubled.RANK: 23 LOCATION: Cole Field House | College Park, Md. DATE: 3/19/1966 CATEGORY: NCAA BB

Texas Western met Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA basketball title game, becoming the first school ever to start five black players in an NCAA championship game. In a stadium full of almost exclusively white fans, officials and coaches, Texas Western defeated No. 1 Kentucky and changed the college basketball landscape forever.