Jim Baines writes:
>>The 1989 Championship game was the first to be broadcast nationally on
> ESPN.
>
>I beg to differ.
>
>I can't remember what year it was, but I seem to recall watching the
>NCAA championship game when Bowling Green won it all.  That was in the
>early-to-mid eighties, and I was in South Carolina at the time, so I'm
>positive it was on ESPN.
 
    Yes, I recall that BG-Duluth (4 ots!) in 1984 was live on ESPN.  The games
    from 1985 to 1989 were all done live on ESPN along with some of the
    semifinals in the early years.  Last year's was the first that was on tape
    delay.  Carol mentioned the cost for local stations to pick up the games;
    last year, with BC and BU in the Final Four, the local Fox affiliate,
    WFXT-25, showed the semifinals and the championship game with local
    announcers, all three games live.  I have taped the national championship
    game every year since 1985 (wish I hadn't missed 1984!), along with some
    of the semifinals.
 
 
    - mike