You Tube Gold: The Very First Televised Selection Sunday

For tonight’s You Tube Gold, we are going to get into the wayback machine and set the dial to 1982.

And in 1982, for the very first time, CBS broadcast the NCAA bracket announcement.

It’s a completely different world, of course. The Committee actually comes out to stand by as the great Dave Gavitt goes to the podium and speaks and then Gary Bender announces the brackets, which are already printed (no digital fun available).

UNC was the #1 seed (this was back when the Tar Heels were regularly invited to the NCAA tournament, kids). Virginia also had a #1 as did Georgetown. DePaul was the final #1.

Georgetown had Patrick Ewing and Virginia had Ralph Sampson and down at Houston, a still very raw Hakeem Olajuwon was beginning his remarkable rise.

The other thing that seems strange now is the conferences that the teams are in. Remember the Metro?

Also, the field was 48 teams rather than the 68 we’ve grown accustomed to.

Most of all though the polish that we’re used to, the slickness and the way CBS plays is out, that’s not there. Not at all.

But when they cut to campus shots, you’ll recognize everything immediately. Nothing there has changed.