1976 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Quarterback Tony Dungy received the team's most valuable player award for the second consecutive year. Strong safety George Adzick was named All-Big Ten first team. Dungy, wide receiver Ron Kullas and defensive lineman George Washington were named All-Big Ten second team. Dungy, offensive lineman Brien Harvey, fullback Kent Kitzmann and cornerback Bob Weber were named Academic All-Big Ten. Terry Matula was named Offensive Lineman of the Year. Jim Perkins was the Big Ten's third leading scorer with 78 points on 13 rushing touchdowns.


1976 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Home attendance for the season was 257,878, which averaged to 42,979. The season high for attendance was against rival Iowa.


1976 Minnesota House of Representatives election
The 1976 Minnesota House of Representatives election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 2, 1976, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the 70th Minnesota Legislature. A primary election was held on September 14, 1976.


1976 Minnesota House of Representatives election
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) won a majority of seats, remaining the majority party, followed by the Independent-Republicans of Minnesota. The new Legislature convened on January 4, 1977.


1976 Minnesota House of Representatives election
The Republican Party of Minnesota had changed its name to the Independent-Republican Party of Minnesota November 15, 1975.


1976 Minnesota Senate election
The 1976 Minnesota Senate election was held in the U.S. state of Minnesota on November 2, 1976, to elect members to the Senate of the 70th and 71st Minnesota Legislatures. A primary election was held on September 14, 1976. This was the first partisan election of the Senate since 1910.


1976 Minnesota Senate election
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) won a majority of seats, followed by the Independent-Republicans of Minnesota. The new Legislature convened on January 4, 1977.


1976 Minnesota Senate election
The Republican Party of Minnesota had changed its name to the Independent-Republican Party of Minnesota on November 15, 1975.


1976 Minnesota Twins season
The 1976 Minnesota Twins finished 85–77, third in the American League West. Only 715,394 fans attended Twins games, the lowest total in the American League. It was the third year in a row that the Twins attracted the fewest fans in the AL.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
In June and July, Larry Hisle and Lyman Bostock became the third and fourth Twins to hit for the cycle. Hisle cycled on June 4 in an 8–6 win over Baltimore, going double, triple, single, home run. He is the only Twin that took an extra inning (homering in the tenth) to accomplish the feat, as he'd grounded out in his first at-bat. Six weeks later Bostock became the second Twin to cycle during a season, a first for the club.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Two Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Rod Carew and catcher Butch Wynegar.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
On July 24, Lyman Bostock, batting fourth, went four-for-four (3B-HR-2B-1B) to become the fourth Twin to hit for the cycle. He had four RBI and scored four runs in the 17–2 win over Chicago.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Steve Luebber is the Minnesota pitcher to come closest to a no-hitter without achieving it. On August 7, he was one out away before losing his bid when Texas Ranger Roy Howell singled. Luebber then lost the shutout when Mike Hargrove singled Howell home. The Twins won the game, 3–1.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
For the first time in four years, Carew did not win the AL batting title, finishing third with a .331 batting average. Carew did have 200 hits and 90 RBI. Larry Hisle hit 14 home runs and collected 96 RBI. Dan Ford added 20 HR and 86 RBI. The Twins set a season-record low with just 81 homers.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Reliever Bill Campbell led the Twins pitchers with 17 wins, all in relief. He also led the team in saves (20) and appearances (78). His earned run average of 3.01 was second only to reliever Tom Burgmeier's 2.50; Burgy added 8 relief wins and a save. The Twins needed the relief help because the starting pitching was terrible, with only Dave Goltz (14–14) managing double digit wins.


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Minnesota Twins season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Minnesota Vikings season
The 1976 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 16th in the National Football League. The Vikings finished with an 11–2–1 record to give them their eighth NFC Central division title. They beat the Washington Redskins 35–20 in the divisional round of the playoffs, followed by a 24–13 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship, before losing 32–14 to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI. As of 2020, this was the last Super Bowl appearance by the franchise.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
The Vikings jumped to a 35–6 lead by the end of the third quarter, led by running backs Chuck Foreman and Brent McClanahan who each rushed for more than 100 yards.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
McClanahan's career-long 41-yard run on Minnesota's first play of the game set up quarterback Fran Tarkenton's 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Stu Voigt. Washington defensive back Eddie Brown gave his team some early scoring opportunities with big special teams plays, first returning the kickoff 26 yards to the 38-yard line, and later returning a punt 17 yards to the Vikings 45. But the team was unable to capitalize.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
All they could do after the kickoff return was go three-and-out, and on the first play after his big punt return, Billy Kilmer threw a pass that was intercepted by Bobby Bryant. Now momentum seemed slipping away, but on the first play after Bryant's pick, Washington took the ball right back with an interception by safety Jake Scott, who returned it 17 yards to the Minnesota 34-yard line. Three plays later, Mark Moseley kicked a 47-yard field goal that cut the Washington deficit to 7–3.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
Later in the quarter, Minnesota drove 66 yards and scored when Tarkenton threw a 27-yard pass to Sammy White. Safety Ken Houston deflected the ball, but it still bounced to White, who made a diving, juggling catch for a touchdown to put the Vikings up 14–3. By the end of the first quarter, the Vikings had gained 143 yards, while holding Washington to 18 yards and no first downs.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
The situation only got worse for Washington in the second quarter. A promising drive for them into Vikings territory ended with no points when Moseley missed a 51-yard field goal attempt. Minnesota then drove 66 yards, featuring a 35-yard completion from Tarkenton to Ahmad Rashad, to score on Foreman's 2-yard touchdown run, putting them up 21–3. The Redskins next drive ended with an interception by Vikings defensive back Nate Wright. On the next play, Houston intercepted the ball from Tarkenton and returned it 8 yards to the Vikings 38.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
But Washington was unable to move the ball and had to punt. In the final seconds of the half, Washington had a chance for a touchdown with a deep throw from Kilmer to receiver Frank Grant. Grant had broken open in the end zone, but was unable to make the catch and the pass fell incomplete.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (#4) Washington Redskins
Washington had to punt on the first drive of the second half, and Leonard Willis returned it 10 yards to the Vikings 48, where Minnesota proceeded to drive to a 28–3 lead on a 30-yard touchdown burst by Foreman. This time the Redskins were able to respond, converting a 20-yard catch by tight end Jean Fugett, a 20-yard run by Mike Thomas, and a 10-yard reception by fullback John Riggins into a 35-yard Moseley field goal, making the score 28–6. But after this, the Vikings drove 77 yards and scored on a 9-yard pass from Tarkenton to White. By the time Kilmer completed two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, the game was already out of reach.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
The Vikings forced a blocked field goal, a blocked punt, and two interceptions en route to the victory over the Rams. On offense, running back Chuck Foreman rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries while also catching 5 passes for 81 yards.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
In the first quarter, the Rams got off to a good start as they marched down the field to the Viking 2-yard line. The drive stalled there, and coach Chuck Knox, recalling the NFC championship game in Minnesota two years ago (when the Rams were intercepted in the end zone after driving to the Viking 2-yard line) ordered a field goal attempt. Nate Allen blocked the field goal attempt, and the ball bounced off the ground right into the waiting arms of Bobby Bryant, who returned it 90 yards for a Minnesota touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Rams dominating the stat sheet. They had run 22 plays for 89 yards and 7 first downs, while holding the Vikings to 5 plays, one first down, and 17 yards, but they still trailed 7–0.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
In the second quarter, linebacker Matt Blair blocked and recovered a punt on the Rams 10-yard line to set up Fred Cox's 25-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 10–0 lead before halftime. Then in the third period, Foreman rushed 62 yards to the Los Angeles 2-yard line, and scored on a 1-yard touchdown run two plays later to increase the lead 17–0.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
The Rams rallied back with two quick touchdowns in the third quarter. After a chance to put the game away was wiped out by Monte Jackson's interception of a Tarkenton pass in the end zone, Pat Haden led the Rams on an 80-yard drive highlighted by a 40-yard pass to Harold Jackson, and culminating in a 10-yard touchdown run by Lawrence McCutcheon. Rams kicker Tom Dempsey missed the extra point. Dempsey had missed nine extra points during the season.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
Announcers Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier speculated that Haden was feeling pressure on this drive because Knox had James Harris warming up on the sidelines. On the Vikings' next drive, Fred Dryer hit Fran Tarkenton on a sack, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jack Youngblood at the Viking 8-yard line. Three plays later, Haden hit Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown pass.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
Late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings defense snuffed out two big chances for LA to take the lead. With 7 minutes left, the Rams drove to a third down on the Vikings 33, but Minnesota linebacker Wally Hilgenberg sacked Haden and forced a punt. With 2:40 left in the game, Los Angeles advanced to the Minnesota 39-yard line. On fourth down and needing more than a field goal, Haden thought he had Jackson open deep near the goal line, but Bryant intercepted the pass (his second of the game) rather than batting it down. A few plays later, Tarkenton dumped a short pass off to Foreman, which he turned into a 57-yard gain. Foreman was injured on the play, but backup running back Sammy Johnson scored the clinching touchdown from 12 yards out.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
This turned out to be the last playoff game at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played four playoff games between 1977 and 1981, all on the road. Minnesota's next home playoff game came after the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Vikings' first in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. They would next host an outdoor home playoff game in January 2016.


1976 Minnesota Vikings season, Postseason, Game summaries, NFC Championship: vs. (#3) Los Angeles Rams
To date, this is the most recent NFC Championship that the Vikings have won.


1976 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 1976 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The team was led by head coach Bob Tyler, competed as a member of the Southeastern Conference and finished the season with an overall record of nine wins and two losses (9–2, 4–2 SEC). However, in May 1978, the NCAA ruled Mississippi State to forfeit all nine victories due to having played an ineligible player.


1976 Missouri Tigers football team
The 1976 Missouri Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Missouri in the Big Eight Conference (Big 8) during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The team compiled a 6–5 record (3–4 against Big 8 opponents), finished in sixth place in the Big 8, and was outscored by opponents by a combined total of 246 to 241. Al Onofrio was the head coach for the sixth of seven seasons. The team played its home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri.


1976 Missouri Tigers football team
The team's statistical leaders included Curtis Brown with 844 rushing yards, Pete Woods with 996 passing yards and 1,189 yards of total offense, Joe Stewart with 834 receiving yards, and placekicker Tim Gibbons with 62 points scored.


1976 Missouri gubernatorial election
The 1976 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976 and resulted in a narrow victory for the Democratic nominee, Joseph P. Teasdale, over the Republican candidate, incumbent Governor Kit Bond, and two other candidates.


1976 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election
The 1976 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Republican Bill Phelps defeated Democratic nominee Richard J. Rabbitt with 50.0% of the vote.


1976 Molde FK season
The 1976 season was Molde's third consecutive year in the top flight, and their 5th season in total in the top flight of Norwegian football. This season Molde competed in 1. divisjon (first tier) and the Norwegian Cup.


1976 Molde FK season
In the league, Molde finished in 6th position, 10 points behind winners Lillestrøm.


1976 Molde FK season, Squad
Source:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1976 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the XXXIV Grand Prix de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco on 30 May 1976. It was the sixth round of the 1976 Formula One season and the 34th Monaco Grand Prix. The race was contested over 78 laps of the 3.3 km circuit for a race distance of 257 kilometres.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix
The race was won by Ferrari driver Niki Lauda, who had also taken pole position in his Ferrari 312T2.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix, Qualifying, Qualifying classification
*Drivers with a red background all failed to qualify as the grid was limited to 20 places.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix, Race
Lauda won by 11 seconds over Jody Scheckter driving the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, whilst Scheckter's teammate, Patrick Depailler, completed the podium in third. As a consequence of the race, Lauda extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 36 points over his teammate Clay Regazzoni who had retired after starting second, going off track on oil laid down when James Hunt retired with a blown engine on lap 25, climbing back to third before crashing.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix, Race
A lap down in fourth was the March 761 of Hans-Joachim Stuck with the McLaren M23 of Jochen Mass and the Fittipaldi FD04 of Emerson Fittipaldi completing the point scoring positions.


1976 Monaco Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race
Points are accurate at the conclusion of the race and do not reflect final results of the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix as it was under appeal.


1976 Mongolian National Championship
The 1976 Mongolian National Championship was the thirteenth recorded edition of the Mongolian National Championship for football, with the first tournament taking place in 1955 and no tournament held in 1965. The 1976 national championship was won by Aldar (literally Glory; a team representing the Army sports society) their third recorded title, following their victory in the 1970 championship. Though it would appear however that championships were contested between 1956 and 1963, as sources note that a team called Aldar, the Mongolian Army Sports Club, won the title on numerous occasions during that time.


1976 Montana Grizzlies football team
The 1976 Montana Grizzlies football team was an American football team that represented the University of Montana in the Big Sky Conference during the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. In their first year under head coach Gene Carlson, the team compiled a 4–6 record.


1976 Montana State Bobcats football team
The 1976 Montana State Bobcats football team represented the Montana State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Sonny Holland and won the Division II national championship. The Bobcats played their home games on campus in Bozeman at Reno H. Sales Stadium.


1976 Montana State Bobcats football team
Entering August practices, the Bobcats were expected to finish in the middle of the conference standings. Led on the field by southpaw sophomore quarterback Paul Dennehy, Montana State went undefeated in the Big Sky and against all Division II opponents, falling only to Fresno State of Division I. Montana State finished their schedule with a 28–7 victory at Hawaii to end the regular season at 9–1.


1976 Montana State Bobcats football team
In the Division II playoffs, the Bobcats hosted New Hampshire in Bozeman in the quarterfinals and won by a point, 17–16. In the semifinals at Fargo, MSU defeated North Dakota State for a second time in 1976, by a much closer 10–3 score in the Grantland Rice Bowl. In the Pioneer Bowl for the Division II title in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Bobcats defeated Akron 24–13 and became the first Big Sky team to win a national title in football.


1976 Montana gubernatorial election
The 1976 Montana gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Governor of Montana Thomas Lee Judge, who was first elected in 1972, ran for re-election. He won the Democratic primary unopposed, and moved on to the general election, where he was opposed by Bob Woodahl, the Attorney General of Montana and the Republican nominee. Ultimately, Judge defeated Woodahl by a landslide to win his second and final term as governor.


1976 Monte Carlo Open
The 1976 Monte Carlo WCT was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. The men's tournament was part of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) tour. It was the 71st edition of the event and was held from 13 April through 20 April 1976. Guillermo Vilas and Helga Masthoff won the singles titles.


1976 Monte Carlo Open, Finals, Men's Doubles
Karl Meiler /  Wojciech Fibak defeated  Björn Borg /  Guillermo Vilas 7–6, 6–1


1976 Monte Carlo Open, Finals, Women's Doubles
Katja Ebbinghaus /  Helga Masthoff defeated  Rosie Reyes Darmon /  Gail Lovera 6–3, 7–5


1976 Monterrey WCT
The 1976 Monterrey WCT was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Monterrey, Mexico. The event was part of the 1976 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from January 6 to 11, 1976. Fourth-seeded Eddie Dibbs won the singles title.


1976 Monterrey WCT, Finals, Doubles
Brian Gottfried /  Raúl Ramírez defeated  Ross Case /  Geoff Masters, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3


1976 Montreal Expos season
The 1976 Montreal Expos season was the eighth season in the history of the franchise. The Expos finished in last place in the National League East with a record of 55–107, 46 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. The Expos played their final season of home games at Jarry Park, before moving their home games to Olympic Stadium for the 1977 season.


1976 Montreal Expos season, Spring training
The Expos held spring training at City Island Ball Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was their fourth season there.


1976 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen Bases


1976 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen Bases


1976 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake
The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami took place on August 17, 1976, at 00:11 local time near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu, in the Philippines. Its magnitude was calculated as being as high as 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale.


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, Tectonic summary
Several fault zones in the region are capable of producing major earthquakes and destructive local tsunamis. The two major fault zones that are most dangerous are the Sulu Trench in the Sulu Sea and the Cotabato Trench, a region of subduction that crosses the Celebes Sea and the Moro Gulf in Southern Mindanao. According to the PHIVOLCS historical catalog of earthquakes for the last 100 years, this region of the southern Philippines is characterized by moderate to high seismicity. The most recent earthquake along the Cotabato Trench region of subduction being the March 6, 2002 earthquake in Southern Mindanao.


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, Effects
The initial earthquake was widespread and was felt as far as the central Philippine islands of the Visayas. A massive tsunami devastated 700 kilometers of coastline bordering the Moro Gulf in the North Celebes Sea, resulting in destruction and death in the coastal communities of the Sulu Archipelago, southern Mindanao particularly the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani (formerly part of South Cotabato), and in the Zamboanga Peninsula including Zamboanga City and Pagadian City.


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, Effects
The maximum height of the waves reached 9 meters at Lebak on the isla; 4.3 meters at Alicia; 3 meters at Resa Bay on the eastern coast of Basilan; and at the islands of Jolo and Sacol. At least 5,000 people died during the earthquake and tsunami, with thousands more remaining missing. Some reports say that as many as 8,000 people lost their lives in total, with ninety percent of all deaths the result of the following tsunami.


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, Effects
Initially over 8,000 people were officially counted as killed or missing, 10,000 injured, and 90,000 homeless, making it one of the most devastating disasters in the history of the Philippine Islands. After the initial earthquake the people were unaware of the need to move to higher ground; when the tsunami hit it sucked most of the victims out to sea. Based on the investigation on the affected region it was confirmed that the waves reached up to 4 to 5 metres (13 to 16 ft) when they hit the areas. There were reports of weak tsunami activity as far as Japan.


1976 Moro Gulf earthquake, Effects
In Zamboanga City, 14 buildings were partially damaged. Zamboanga City was spared from serious damage of the tsunami triggered by this earthquake because the Basilan Island and the Santa Cruz Islands served as a buffer and deflected waves.


1976 Mr. Olympia
The 1976 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held in September, 1976 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio.


1976 Music City USA 420
The 1976 Music City USA 420 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on May 8, 1976, at Nashville Speedway (now Fairgrounds Speedway) in Nashville, Tennessee.


1976 Music City USA 420
The five drivers that dominated the 1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season were David Pearson (average finish of 7th place), Cale Yarborough (average finish of 8th place), Richard Petty (average finish of 9th place), Benny Parsons (average finish of 10th place), and Bobby Allison (average finish 12th place).


1976 Music City USA 420, Background
Nashville Speedway was converted to a half-mile paved oval in 1957, when it began to be a NASCAR series track. The speedway was lengthened between the 1969 and 1970 seasons. The corners were cut down from 35 degrees to their present 18 degrees in 1972.


1976 Music City USA 420, Race report
It took two hours and fifty-seven minutes for Cale Yarborough to defeat Richard Petty by 1.3 seconds in front of 16000 live audience members. Five cautions slowed the race for 33 laps along with 16 changes in the lead.


1976 Music City USA 420, Race report
Rick Newsom achieved the last-place finish due to an ignition problem on lap 22 of the 420 laps that made up its regulation length. All of the 30 drivers on the grid were American-born males. Benny Parsons qualified for the race with a pole position speed of 104.328 miles per hour (167.900 km/h) while the average speed of the race was 84.512 miles per hour (136.009 km/h). The winner received $8,565 in winnings ($38,482.39 when adjusted for inflation) while the last-place finisher would only win $305 ($1,370.36 when adjusted for inflation).


1976 Music City USA 420, Race report
19-year-old Sterling Marlin made NASCAR debut in his race; he started in 30th place and finished in 29th place. Marlin filled in for his father Coo Coo while he was recovering from an injury.


1976 Music City USA 420, Race report
Notable crew chiefs in attendance for this race were Billy Hagan, Harry Hyde, Jake Elder, Dale Inman, Bud Moore, Coo Coo Marlin, Tim Brewer and Travis Carter.


1976 NAIA Division I football season
The 1976 NAIA Division I football season was the 21st season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the seventh season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.


1976 NAIA Division I football season
The season was played from August to November 1976 and culminated in the 1976 NAIA Division I Champion Bowl, played on December 11, 1976 at Javelina Stadium on the campus of Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas. Texas A&I defeated Central Arkansas in the Champion Bowl, 26–0, to win their fifth, and third consecutive, NAIA national title.


1976 NAIA Division II football season
The 1976 NAIA Division II football season was the 21st season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the seventh season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.


1976 NAIA Division II football season
The season was played from August to November 1976 and culminated in the 1976 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on the campus of the University of Redlands in Redlands, California.


1976 NAIA Division II football season
Westminster (PA) defeated Redlands in the championship game, 20–13, to win their second NAIA national title.


1976 NAIA Ice Hockey Championship
The 1976 NAIA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination bracket to determine the national champion of men's NAIA college ice hockey. The 1976 tournament was the ninth men's ice hockey tournament to be sponsored by the NAIA. The tournament began on February 27, 1976 and ended with the championship game on March 1, 1976.


1976 NAIA Ice Hockey Championship, Bracket
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)Note: # Wisconsin-River Falls replaced Chicago State, who had a previously scheduled series with Air Force, February 27-28


1976 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 39th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This is the first tournament since 1969 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA Semifinals. (It would be the 6th time since 1937 this has happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1969).


1976 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament, 1976 NAIA bracket, 3rd place game
The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.


1976 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1976 NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Series was the 28th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 5th modern era NASCAR Cup series. The season began on Sunday, January 18 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Cale Yarborough, driving the #11 Junior Johnson Holly Farms Chevrolet scored his first of three consecutive NASCAR Grand National Series Winston Cup Championships. Skip Manning was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year.


1976 NASL Indoor tournament
Over the course of three weekends in March 1976, the North American Soccer League hosted its second league-wide indoor soccer tournament. Twelve of the twenty NASL teams participated.


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, Overview
In 1976, instead of playing a full indoor schedule (and despite the hopes of Tampa Bay owner George Strawbridge, Jr.), the North American Soccer League opted to stage a two-tiered indoor tournament for the second consecutive year. Of the league's 20 teams, 12 participated in three regions, which was down from 16 in four regions in the previous year's tournament. The regional winners along with the "best" second-place team would advance to the final four in St. Petersburg, Florida.


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, Overview
While the goals remained 4 × 16, the games would be shortened to three 15-minute periods, instead of the 20-minute frames played the previous year. The tournament also saw the first-ever indoor overtime and penalty shootout, as Miami and Boston played to a 6–6 draw in the opening match. After 45 minutes of regulation time and two 5-minute golden goal extra sessions, the match was ultimately decided by spot kicks.


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, Overview
Playing in their home arena, the Bayfront Center, the Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the Rochester Lancers 6–4 in the Championship Final. Juli Veee of San Jose scored eight goals to lead the tournament, while Clyde Best of Tampa Bay earned the MVP honors.


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, 1976 Indoor Regional tournaments, West Regional
*San Jose wins region on goal differential, while Dallas is the top second-place team in any region, so both advance to semifinals


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, Final team rankings
G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Differential


1976 NASL Indoor tournament, Non-tournament matches
In addition to the tournament itself, a few teams staged other indoor matches as tune-ups for both the outdoor season and the indoor tournament itself.


1976 NBA All-Star Game
The 1976 NBA All Star Game was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, on February 3, 1976. Philadelphia hosted three of the major four league All-Star games in honor of the Bicenntenial.


1976 NBA All-Star Game
It was also the final NBA All-Star Game played on a weekday, before switching to a Sunday game the following season, as well as the final one before the ABA-NBA merger.


1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1975–76 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2. Celtics point guard Jo Jo White was named as the series MVP.


1976 NBA Finals, Background, Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns entered the NBA as an expansion team in the 1968–69 season. Prior to 1976, they only made the playoffs once, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 1970 NBA Playoffs. Before that the Suns lost a coin flip to the Milwaukee Bucks to determine the fate of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's new team prior to the 1969 NBA draft. Phoenix ultimately selected Neal Walk, who became a bust. The Suns redeemed themselves in the 1975 NBA draft by selecting Alvan Adams fourth overall.


1976 NBA Finals, Background, Phoenix Suns
With Adams fortifying the center position, and with new addition Paul Westphal and Dick Van Arsdale providing the scoring punch, the Suns reached the playoffs for only the second time, finishing with 42 wins. The Suns defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in six games of the conference semifinals, before achieving a major upset in dethroning the previous year's champions the Golden State Warriors in seven games. The Suns made it to their first NBA Finals.


1976 NBA Finals, Background, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were seeking to make up for the lost opportunity they squandered in the 1975 NBA Playoffs. That year, they finished with 60 wins, but lost to the Washington Bullets in the conference finals. They kept the core of the team that won the 1974 NBA Finals, but made some tweaks, such as the trade of Westphal to Phoenix for Charlie Scott. The Celtics won 54 games in the 1975–76 season, then defeated the Buffalo Braves and the "Miracle of Richfield" Cleveland Cavaliers in six games each to reach their 14th NBA Finals. Boston was seeking its 13th NBA title.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 1
Boston turned back the Suns in game one behind a balanced attack. John Havlicek did not start for the Celtics due to a painful heel injury. However, Boston coach Tom Heinsohn rushed Havlicek into the game with 7:24 left in the first quarter as Phoenix took an early 10–7 lead and the Ohio State product never came back out of the game.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 1
Dave Cowens recorded a triple-double with 25 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists while Jo Jo White shot only 1–4 from the field in the first half before making 8-of-11 shots in the second half to keep Phoenix at bay. Phoenix trailed by two at the end of the first quarter as they failed to take advantage of 11 first quarter Celtic turnovers. Kevin Stacom scored five straight points (his only points) to put Boston up for good 22–20. Charlie Scott fouled out when he picked up his fifth and sixth fouls in an 11-second span.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 2
Phoenix lost their twelfth game in a row at Boston Garden as Boston put the game away with a 20–2 run at the start of the third quarter that gave them a 72–43 lead. The run was started by steals from Jo Jo White and Charlie Scott. Scott made just one-of-nine shots from the field in the first half but came alive with 12 points in the third quarter. Boston again started the game slowly without John Havlicek in the starting line-up, not making a field goal in the first three minutes of the game and again prompting Tommy Heinsohn to rush Havlicek into the game again.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 3
Phoenix held Boston scoreless for nearly five minutes in the second period as they went to a 16-point lead. Then, the Suns' Ricky Sobers and Boston's Kevin Stacom got into a fistfight, and both were ejected. Sobers was having a good game at that point, and Phoenix coach John MacLeod would later accuse the Celtics of having Stacom bait Sobers into the fight in order to get him out of the game.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 3
The Suns extended the lead to 23 in the third, but Boston began to charge back and cut the lead to two with three minutes left. At that point, Suns rookie center Alvan Adams scored twice, passed off to Paul Westphal for another, and then tipped in a Westphal miss moments later.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 3
That was enough to get Phoenix a 105–98 win. Adams finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Dave Cowens and Charlie Scott both fouled out for the Celtics, and the Celtics also were whistled for two technicals.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 4
In the first NBA game played in the month of June, referees Don Murphy and Manny Sokol whistled 21 fouls in the first 10 minutes. Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn claimed later that the affair was pure "high school." John Havlicek and Cowens put the blame on their team for 'committing stupid fouls.'


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 4
The game was close to the end, when Ricky Sobers hit a bank shot to put the Suns up by four with 90 seconds left. The Celtics cut it to two and had a chance to tie it, but lost 109-107 when Jo Jo White missed a jump shot late.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Game 5 was a triple-overtime contest that is sometimes referred to as "the greatest game ever played" in NBA history. With the series tied 2–2, Boston took a huge lead at Boston Garden but could not hold it. The game was enhanced by several controversies.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
The most notable portion of the game was the final 20 seconds of the second overtime. Boston led at that point 109–106 (with the three-point basket not yet in existence). Phoenix had possession of the ball after taking its last timeout of the OT. In an amazing and frantic sequence, the following transpired:


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Phoenix suddenly led, 110–109, with just five seconds left, and the team looked poised to win their third straight game and grab a 3-to-2 edge in the series. John Havlicek (already of "Havlicek Stole the Ball" fame) responded with a drive and a leaning one-hander in traffic, that he banked in off the glass, putting Boston in front 111–110 as the horn sounded. The fans then poured onto the court to celebrate Boston's apparent victory. The Celtics returned to their locker room. As CBS analyst Rick Barry passionately and correctly pointed out, the ball went through the hoop with two seconds left and the clock should have been stopped. The officials apparently agreed with Barry and ordered the Celtics back onto the floor. The game was not over.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
During the ensuing pandemonium, a fan attacked referee Richie Powers and other fans turned over one of the scorer's tables. After clearing the court (the fan who attacked Powers was arrested) and getting the Celtics back on the floor, the officials put one second back on the clock. Still, Phoenix's chances seemed slim, as they had the ball under their own basket with a second left. Then Paul Westphal of the Suns signaled for a time out that the Suns did not have.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Although this resulted in a technical foul being called on Westphal, the play was critical for Phoenix, because the rules at the time gave Phoenix the same advantage (save for the technical foul shot) that they would have had with timeouts remaining to use; namely, possession of the ball at half court. Boston's Jo Jo White made the technical free throw, increasing Boston's lead to 112–110.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
During the timeout, fans were still on the Boston Garden floor, even disturbing the Suns' huddle by their bench as coach John MacLeod was drawing up a play for a possible tying basket. The Suns' players repeatedly had to shove the fans out of the way, and Phoenix general manager Jerry Colangelo even threatened to not bring his team back to the Boston Garden for Game 7 if security couldn't maintain control. When play resumed, Phoenix's Gar Heard took the inbounds pass from Perry and made a buzzer-beating shot (a turn-around jumper at the top of the key) for the Suns that tied the score yet again, 112–112.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Boston eventually took a six-point lead, 128–122, late in the third overtime, as Glenn McDonald, a little-used Celtic reserve player, chipped in half a dozen. Westphal then scored the next four points for Phoenix (as part of a brilliant performance that featured several leaping, spinning, acrobatic bank shots) cutting the gap to 128–126, but he could not get the ball again; (although he very nearly did – almost stealing a pass near half court as the third overtime wound down).


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Celtics who fouled out (were disqualified due to six personal fouls) were Charlie Scott in the last minute of regulation, Dave Cowens with one minute left in the 2nd overtime, and Paul Silas in the 3rd overtime. Alvan Adams and Dennis Awtrey both fouled out for the Suns. Silas picked up his fifth foul late in the fourth quarter, but played the entire remainder, including all three overtime periods before fouling out late in the third.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
The Suns had the lead in the game on only four occasions (twice in the second overtime) and never by more than 2 points. They led 95–94 late in the fourth, and 106–105 and 110–109 in the 2nd overtime. They also led by two points on three occasions in the third overtime.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
McDonald scored eight points in the game, all in overtime.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 5
Pat Riley was a reserve on the Suns' bench, but never played in a game.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 6
After the tough Game 5 loss, the Suns were more defiant than ever heading back home to Phoenix. "We know we're going to beat them." Gar Heard declared. "It's going to take seven now, but we know we're going to beat them. We showed we came to play."


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 6
The first half was a defensive struggle. Each team scored 20 points in the first quarter, then Boston scored 18 in the second while holding the Suns to 13. Keith Erickson, a key Suns' reserve, had attempted to play at the start of the second period, but reinjured his sprained ankle and never returned. After falling behind by 11, Phoenix caught up again in the third and took a 67–66 lead on a Ricky Sobers free throw with 7:25 left in the game.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 6
But the Celtic heroes of old (Dave Cowens, John Havlicek) and new (Charlie Scott) took control from there. Havlicek hit two free throws; then Cowens stole the ball, drove, scored, drew the foul and made the foul shot for a three-point play. Cowens then scored two baskets and Havlicek another to put it away. Scott had three steals during the run and finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, ending a series-long 11-for-44 shooting slump.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 6
During the run, Phoenix's only response was four free throws. The Celtics rode their surge to an 87–80 win and their 13th championship.


1976 NBA Finals, Series summary, Game 6
Jo Jo White scored 15 points, giving him 130 points in six games, and was named the series MVP. John Havlicek celebrated his eighth NBA title as a Celtic.


1976 NBA Finals, Television coverage
The 1975–76 Finals had three straight off days between Sunday afternoon opener and Thursday night second game due to CBS-TV's concern with low ratings for professional basketball. The 1975–76 network television season (as well as May sweeps) ended after Wednesday, May 26 (with weekend afternoon games not factored into the prime-time ratings). Accordingly, CBS-TV allowed Game One to be played on Sunday afternoon, since the ratings would not count, but would not permit Game Two to be played live in prime time unless the NBA waited until Thursday evening.


1976 NBA Finals, Television coverage
Game 3 started on Sunday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m. MST in order for CBS to televise the final round of the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament following the game. The move angered numerous clergy in the Phoenix area, who saw drastically reduced attendance at Sunday services. The game also happened to be on the same day as the Indianapolis 500, but live flag-to-flag coverage of the event by ABC Sports was still ten years away.


1976 NBA Finals, Television coverage
CBS play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger, in a Fall 2009 interview with ESPN, said that he and color announcer Rick Barry were rooting for Phoenix to win Games 3, 4 and 6, although Barry's Golden State Warriors were eliminated by the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Musburger said that this was because he and Barry were paid by the game. Since the Series was 2-0 Boston after the first two games, Musburger and Barry wanted the Suns to win the next two games to tie the series (likewise with Game six). Typically, Boston fans, unaware of Musburger's and Barry's motivations, were upset with the announcing crew because of their perceived favoritism.


1976 NBA Finals, Aftermath, Celtics
The championship was the 13th won by the Celtics, and they kept the original Walter A. Brown trophy through the 1976–77 season. During the season, the NBA commissioned a new championship trophy, later to be renamed the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, in which the winning team would keep the trophy permanently.


1976 NBA Finals, Aftermath, Celtics
Unfortunately, the Celtics were unable to successfully defend their championship, losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the eventual conference champion Philadelphia 76ers in seven games. After that, the team began to rebuild, losing John Havlicek to retirement and then Jo Jo White to a trade within two years. Despite drafting Larry Bird in the 1978 NBA draft, Bird elected to play out his final season in college while the Celtics lost 53 games in the 1978–79 season. With Bird debuting for the 1979–80 season, the Celtics won 32 more games, but it was not until 1981 that they  won another championship.


1976 NBA Finals, Aftermath, Suns
The Suns followed their unexpected run to the Finals with a losing season in 1976–77, going 34–48. After the season, Dick Van Arsdale retired, alongside twin brother Tom who became his teammate for that season. However, the team would make the playoffs the next eight seasons, going as far as the conference finals on two occasions.


1976 NBA Finals, Aftermath, Suns
Alvan Adams remained with the Suns for the next twelve seasons, retiring after the 1987–88 season. Paul Westphal played five more seasons in Phoenix, albeit in two different stints, before becoming a coach. Westphal would coach the Suns to the 1993 finals in a losing effort. Pat Riley retired after the season and went on to win six NBA championships as a coach.


1976 NBA draft
The 1976 NBA draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 8, 1976, before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Atlanta Hawks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Chicago Bulls were awarded the second pick.


1976 NBA draft
The Hawks then traded the first pick to the Houston Rockets before the draft. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The New York Knicks forfeited their first-round draft pick due to their illegal signing of George McGinnis whose rights were held by the Philadelphia 76ers.


1976 NBA draft
The 76ers, the Golden State Warriors and the Buffalo Braves also forfeited their second, third and fourth-round picks respectively due to their participation in 1975 supplementary draft American Basketball Association (ABA) players who had never been drafted in the NBA. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, 26 college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule.


1976 NBA draft
13 of them withdrew before the draft, leaving only 13 early entry candidates eligible for selection. These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 173 players. On August 8, 1976, the league also hosted a Dispersal draft for ABA players from the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, who were not included in the ABA–NBA merger.


1976 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
John Lucas from the University of Maryland was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets. Adrian Dantley from the University of Notre Dame, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected 6th by the Buffalo Braves. Four players from this draft, Dantley, 8th pick Robert Parish, 23rd pick Alex English and 29th pick Dennis Johnson, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Parish was also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.


1976 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
Dantley was selected to two All-NBA Teams and six All-Star Games. Parish won three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Later in his career, he added another championship in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls. His other achievements include two All-NBA Team selections and nine All-Star Game selections. English's achievements include three All-NBA Team selections and eight All-Star Game selections. Johnson won the NBA championships, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. He then won two other championships with the Celtics in the 1980s. He was selected to two All-NBA Teams, five All-Star Games and nine All-Defensive Teams.


1976 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
Lonnie Shelton, the 25th pick, is the only other player from this draft who was selected to an All-Star Game. Lucas, 22nd pick Johnny Davis and 99th pick Mike Dunleavy all became head coaches after ending their playing career. Lucas has coached three teams in six seasons while Davis has coached three teams in four seasons. Dunleavy won the Coach of the Year Award in 1999 with the Portland Trail Blazers. He coached four teams in 17 seasons. Two other players drafted also went on to have coaching careers in the NBA: Dennis Johnson and seventh pick Quinn Buckner.


1976 NBA draft, Other picks
The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.


1976 NBA draft, ABA dispersal draft
On August 5, 1976, the NBA hosted a dispersal draft to select players from the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, the American Basketball Association (ABA) franchises that were not included in the ABA–NBA merger. The eighteen NBA teams and the four ABA teams that joined the NBA, the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs, were allowed to participate in the draft. The teams selected in reverse order of their win–loss percentage in the previous NBA and ABA seasons.


1976 NBA draft, ABA dispersal draft
The team that made a selection must pay a certain price for the signing rights to the player, which are set by the league's committee. The money from the draft was used to help the four ABA teams that merged with the NBA to pay off some of their obligations to the two folded ABA franchises, the Colonels and the Spirits. The team that made a selection must assume the player's ABA contract. Players who were not selected would become free agents.


1976 NBA draft, ABA dispersal draft
Twenty players from the Colonels and the Spirits were available for the draft. Eleven were selected in the first round and the twelfth player was selected in the second round. Eight players were not selected and thus became a free agent. The Chicago Bulls used the first pick to select five-time ABA All-Star Artis Gilmore with a signing price of $1,100,000. The Portland Trail Blazers, who acquired the Atlanta Hawks' second pick, selected Maurice Lucas and Moses Malone with signing price of $300,000 and $350,000 respectively.


1976 NBA draft, ABA dispersal draft
Marvin Barnes, who was selected fourth by the Detroit Pistons was the second most expensive player in the draft with a signing price of $500,000. Several teams elected to pass their first-round picks and only the Kansas City Kings used the second-round pick. The draft continued until the third round, but no other players were selected.


1976 NBA draft, Notes
^ 1: Lars Hansen was born in Denmark, but grew up in Canada and has represented the Canadian national team. ^ 2: Gary Cole later changed his name into Abdul Jeelani. He used that name during his career in the NBA.


1976 NBA playoffs
The 1976 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1975–76 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The series was highlighted by Game 5, a 3-OT victory by Boston. The Celtics won their 13th NBA title, second in the Dave Cowens era. Jo Jo White was named NBA Finals MVP.


1976 NBA playoffs
The Suns earned their first two playoff series victories in franchise history to advance to the NBA Finals; they won their second (and as of 2020, most recent) Western Conference title in 1993.


1976 NBA playoffs
The sixth-year Cleveland Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance and won their first playoff series.


1976 NBA playoffs
This was the final playoff appearance for the Buffalo Braves franchise in Buffalo and last until 1992, when they returned as the Los Angeles Clippers.


1976 NBA playoffs
This would prove the last Conference Finals appearance for the Golden State Warriors until 2015 under the leadership of Steph Curry.


1976 NBA playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs for the first time since 1971, starting a 12-season run that included four NBA Finals appearances (1977, 1980, 1982, and 1983).


1976 NBA playoffs
Despite winning their division with a losing record of 38–44, the Milwaukee Bucks were forced to play in the best of three first round against the Detroit Pistons.


1976 NBA playoffs
This is also noted to be the most recent NBA Playoffs that did not include a sweep and the last time a team from Texas did not appear in the playoffs.


1976 NBA playoffs, First Round, Eastern Conference First Round, (4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Buffalo Braves
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, First Round, Western Conference First Round, (4) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Buffalo Braves
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Washington Bullets
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Detroit Pistons
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the only meeting when both teams were based in Philadelphia and Fort Wayne respectively.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Phoenix Suns
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Finals, (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Phoenix Suns
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NBA playoffs, NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W3) Phoenix Suns
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1976 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 1976 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The Wolfpack were led by first-year head coach Bo Rein and played their home games at Carter Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in fifth.


1976 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament was played at the end of the 1976 NCAA Division I baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its thirtieth year. Eight regional competitions were held to determine the participants in the final event. Seven regions held a four team, double-elimination tournament while one region included six teams, resulting in 34 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The thirtieth tournament's champion was Arizona, coached by Jerry Kindall. The Most Outstanding Player was Steve Powers of Arizona.


1976 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, Regionals
Seven of the eight regionals were played as 4-team double-elimination tournaments. One regional was played as a 6-team double-elimination tournament. The winner of each regional moved onto the College World Series.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game
The 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game was the final of the 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and determined the national champion for the 1975–76 season. The game was held at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 29, 1976. In a matchup of two Big Ten Conference teams, the Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Michigan Wolverines 86–68 to earn the university's third championship. The Hoosiers' victory concluded the last undefeated season in Division I men's college basketball.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Indiana
The Hoosiers were coached by Bob Knight, who was in his fifth season with the team. Indiana was coming off of a 1974–75 season in which they had a perfect 18–0 record in Big Ten Conference play and remained undefeated overall until losing in the regional finals of the 1975 NCAA Tournament. Among the players from the 1974–75 team lost to graduation was Steve Green, the Hoosiers' top scorer. However, they retained a veteran core, and the 1975–76 squad had four seniors and one junior included as regular starters.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Indiana
Forward Scott May was the Hoosiers' leading scorer in 1975–76, averaging 23.5 points per game. Center Kent Benson, the team's leading rebounder with 8.8 rebounds, contributed 17.3 points per game, and forward Tom Abernethy averaged 10.0 points. Guard Bob Wilkerson led Indiana with 5.3 assists per game and added 7.8 points, and fellow guard Quinn Buckner posted averages of 8.9 points and 4.2 assists. All five players later competed in the National Basketball Association, as did forward Wayne Radford. Other players on the Hoosiers' roster included guards Bob Bender, Jim Crews, and Jim Wisman, and forward Rich Valavicius.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Indiana
Indiana began the season as the number-one ranked team in the country. The team's first game, on November 29, 1975, was against UCLA, the previous season's national champions. By a 20-point margin, the Hoosiers opened with a win. After an 83–59 win over Florida State, the Hoosiers had two consecutive games against top-15 teams. On December 11, against Notre Dame, the Hoosiers withstood a late Fighting Irish rally to post a 63–60 victory. Four days later, they were forced into overtime against Kentucky before winning by nine points, 77–68. After four wins by margins of over 20 points, the Hoosiers faced 17th-ranked St. John's at Madison Square Garden, winning 76–69. Entering the beginning of the Big Ten schedule, Indiana's record stood at 9–0.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Indiana
The Hoosiers' first Big Ten game was on January 3, 1976, at Ohio State. By a 68–66 score, they improved to 10–0 on the season. After a 17-point win over Northwestern, they played on the road against 19th-ranked Michigan, in a game they won 80–74. Two double-digit victories followed, before a four-point win against Purdue. Having improved to 18–0 with three further wins, Indiana again faced Michigan, and the Wolverines took them to overtime before the Hoosiers managed a five-point triumph. During the rest of the regular season, the Hoosiers' only game with a margin of less than 10 points was their second meeting with Purdue, who lost to Indiana 74–71. The Hoosiers maintained their number-one ranking throughout the season, and entered the NCAA Tournament with a perfect 27–0 record.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Indiana
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Indiana again faced St. John's, winning by 20 points. Alabama gave the Hoosiers a more competitive game in the regional semifinals, but by a 74–69 margin, the Hoosiers advanced to the regional final, where they defeated Marquette 65–56. That win gave the Hoosiers a spot in the Final Four, where they won 65–51 over UCLA to claim a berth in the national championship game. It was the third title game appearance for Indiana, and its first since 1953.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Michigan
Johnny Orr, who was in his eighth season with the team, was Michigan's head coach in 1975–76. The Wolverines reached the 1975 NCAA Tournament, but were eliminated in their first game. Michigan had three future NBA players on its roster. Guard Rickey Green was the team's leading scorer with an average of 19.9 points per game. Forward Phil Hubbard added 15.1 points per game, and led the Wolverines in rebounding with 11.0 per game. Freshman guard Alan Hardy also played in the NBA later in his career. Forwards John Robinson and Wayman Britt, and guard Steve Grote, averaged double-figure points per game. Other players on the Wolverines included centers Tom Bergen and Joel Thompson, and guard Dave Baxter.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Michigan
After beginning the season with a 90–63 win against Vanderbilt on December 2, the Wolverines lost at eighth-ranked Tennessee by one point, 82–81. Michigan posted five consecutive victories before playing another ranked team, number 10 UNLV, who defeated them 108–94 in Las Vegas. The loss left the Wolverines at 6–2 entering their Big Ten schedule. Michigan won its first three Big Ten games, including a 95–72 result against 16th-ranked Minnesota on January 5. The six-point loss to Indiana was the Wolverines' first in conference play, and left the team at 9–3 on the season.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Michigan
Victories over Ohio State, Michigan State, and Purdue followed, before a one-point defeat at Illinois. After two further wins, the Wolverines posted their second loss to the Hoosiers. Over the last eight games of the season, they won seven, all but one of which were conference games; only Minnesota defeated them during this stretch. The Wolverines had a 21–6 record prior to the NCAA Tournament, and their 14–4 record in Big Ten games was second-best in the conference.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Background, Michigan
The Wolverines' first opponent in the NCAA Tournament was Wichita State, who lost to Michigan by only one point, 74–73. In another close game in the regional semifinals, the Wolverines advanced over Notre Dame by an 80–76 final score, before they defeated Missouri by seven points to secure a Final Four appearance. In that round, the Wolverines faced Rutgers; like the Hoosiers, the Scarlet Knights entered the round undefeated for the season, with a record of 31–0. However, Michigan jumped out to a 17-point lead by halftime and went on to give Rutgers their first loss, 86–70. The victories by Indiana and Michigan set up an NCAA championship game between teams who were members of the same conference, the first time that had happened. The Wolverines had appeared in one previous NCAA tournament final, losing in 1965.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
The contest was held on March 29, 1976, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The announced crowd was 17,540 fans. A third-place game was held between the two losers of the national semifinals, Rutgers and UCLA. The Bruins won 106–92, as Marques Johnson led all scorers with 30 points.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
In the first half, the Hoosiers were forced to deal with the absence of starter Wilkerson, who was injured within the first three minutes and taken to a hospital. The Wolverines made 61.5% of their field goal attempts, and entering halftime they held the lead, 35–29. Benson and May helped the Hoosiers gain a foothold early in the second half, combining to score the team's first 10 points. The pair, along with Buckner, were responsible for all but two of the Hoosiers' first 38 points in the half.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Indiana tied the score at 39–39; although Michigan did claim a 43–41 lead six minutes into the half, the teams were tied six further times. Britt, who was defending May, found himself in foul trouble and was forced out of the game with four fouls less than four minutes into the second half; he ultimately fouled out, along with Hubbard. With 10:15 remaining in regulation, the teams were tied, 51–51. Twenty seconds later, May scored a basket to put Indiana in front. The Hoosiers scored the next three points; Abernethy contributed two points before Benson added a free throw that made the score 56–51.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
At the time Hubbard fouled out, there were under eight minutes left and the Hoosiers held a six-point advantage. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Indiana had extended their lead to double digits, 69–59. The Hoosiers were in the midst of a 22–8 scoring run that gave them a comfortable lead of 73–59 inside the last four minutes of regulation. Indiana was able to expand their lead further before the end of the game, wrapping up an 86–68 victory that gave them the national championship and a perfect record for the season.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
It was the third national title won by the Hoosiers, following triumphs in 1940 and 1953. They became the fourth Division I program to conclude a perfect season with an NCAA Tournament title, and the team's 32 wins tied the 1956–57 North Carolina Tar Heels for the most by an NCAA champion that ended the season unbeaten. The 1975–76 Hoosiers were the seventh men's national champion with a perfect record. As of 2020, they are the last Division I men's basketball team to finish undefeated for an entire season.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Statistical summary
The Hoosiers converted 32 of their 61 field goal attempts, or 52.5%. May hit 10 of his 17 shots and scored a game-high 26 points while adding eight rebounds; 18 of his points were scored in the second half. Benson had a team-high nine rebounds and 25 points, 15 of which came in the second half. Buckner added 16 points and five steals, while Abernethy also had a double-figure point total, 11. Wisman had six assists, the most by a player on either team.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Statistical summary
Michigan had a lower field goal percentage than Indiana, converting at a 47.4% rate (27 for 57). Green was the top scorer for the Wolverines, posting 18 points on 7–16 shooting. Grote had 12 points and Britt had 11, while Hubbard scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds, the high amount for both teams. Robinson had a team-high five assists and contributed eight points.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
Having lost several starters from the 1976 NCAA title game to graduation, the Hoosiers posted a 16–11 record in the 1976–77 season, including an 11–7 mark in Big Ten play, and did not qualify for the 1977 NCAA Tournament. The team returned to the tournament the following season, reaching the regional semifinals before being eliminated. Over the next decade, Knight's Hoosiers won two further national championship games, in 1981 and 1987.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
Having set a program record with 25 wins in 1975–76, Michigan surpassed its mark the following season, when it had a 26–4 record, including 16 wins in 18 Big Ten games. The Wolverines reached the NCAA Tournament, where they were knocked out in the regional finals. After 1977, the team did not return to the tournament until 1985. Michigan went back to the national championship game in 1989, winning the program's only NCAA title.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1976, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in Philadelphia. A total of 32 games were played, including a national third place game.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
Indiana, coached by Bob Knight, won the national title with an 86–68 victory in the final game over Michigan, coached by Johnny Orr. Kent Benson of Indiana was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
Notably, this was the first time that two teams from the same conference (the Big Ten) played in the title game. Also, this was the last men's Division I tournament to date to feature two unbeaten teams, as both Indiana and Rutgers entered the tournament unbeaten. To date, Indiana is the last team to go the entire season undefeated at 32–0. Both advanced to the Final Four, with Indiana winning the title and Rutgers losing to Michigan in the semifinals and UCLA in the third-place game. This is the last tournament that both Duke and Kentucky missed in the same year until 2021.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
This tournament was also the first since the creation of the NCAA men's tournament in 1939 in which no regional third-place games were played. In the first two NCAA tournaments (1939 and 1940), the West Regional held a third-place game, but the East (the only other regional of that day) did not. The East began holding its own third-place game in 1941, and from that point through 1975 each regional held a third-place game. This was the second year of the 32-team field, and theNCAA announced the selections several days prior to the end of the regular season.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
As site of the Continental Congress and signing of the Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia  also served as host for the 1976 NBA All-Star Game, the 1976 National Hockey League All-Star Game, and the 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at which President Ford threw out the first pitch. The 1976 Pro Bowl was an exception and was played in New Orleans, likely due to weather concerns.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1976 tournament:


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
National Semifinals, 3rd Place Game, and Championship (Final Four and Championship)


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
Philadelphia became the 15th city, and the Spectrum the 16th venue, to host a Final Four. It was just the third active NBA arena to host a Final Four, after the old Madison Square Garden and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Like the majority of previous Final Four venues, this was the Spectrum's first time hosting tournament games of any kind, a practice which mostly died shortly after; the NCAA made it a practice to have Final Four venues have at least a "test run" hosting earlier games the year before by the 1980s.


1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, Schedule and venues
Other than the Spectrum, only one other arena made its debut in 1976. The LSU Assembly Center made its debut in the 1976 tournament, the first time the city of Baton Rouge hosted games, and the first time since 1942 that the state of Louisiana hosted. All the venues in the tournament saw action since this tournament, although this would mark the final time for the Charlotte Coliseum to host a regional round; it would only host sub-regionals afterwards.


1976 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The 1976 NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships were the 38th annual cross country meet to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's collegiate cross country running in the United States. Held on November 22, 1976, the meet was hosted by North Texas State University at the NTSU Cross Country Course in Denton, Texas. The distance for this race was 10 kilometers (6.21 miles).


1976 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
All Division I members were eligible to qualify for the meet. In total, 34 teams and 298 individual runners contested this championship.


1976 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships
The team national championship was retained by the UTEP Miners, their third title. The individual championship was won by Henry Rono, from Washington State, with a meet distance record time of 28:06.60. As of the 2016 championships, Rono's record time has yet to be surpassed during a national NCAA meet despite being recorded during the first ever NCAA championship at the 10 kilometer distance.


1976 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
The 1976 NCAA Division I Golf Championship was the 38th annual NCAA-sanctioned golf tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate golf at the University Division level in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
The tournament was held at the University of New Mexico Golf Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico.


1976 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
Oklahoma State won the team championship, the Cowboys' first NCAA title.


1976 NCAA Division I Golf Championship
Future U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson, from USC, won the individual title.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament was the culmination of the 1975–76 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, the 29th such tournament in NCAA history. It was held between March 25 and 27, 1976, and concluded with Minnesota defeating Michigan Tech 6-4. All games were played at the University of Denver Arena in Denver, Colorado.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Qualifying teams
Four teams qualified for the tournament, two each from the eastern and western regions. The ECAC tournament champion and the two WCHA tournament co-champions received automatic bids into the tournament. An at-large bid was offered to a second eastern team based upon both their ECAC tournament finish as well as their regular season record.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Format
The ECAC champion was seeded as the top eastern team while the WCHA co-champion with the better regular season record was given the top western seed. The second eastern seed was slotted to play the top western seed and vice versa. All games were played at the University of Denver Arena. All matches were Single-game eliminations with the semifinal winners advancing to the national championship game and the losers playing in a consolation game.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1976 NCAA Division I tournament championship game was played at Brown University in front of 7,504 fans. The undefeated Cornell Big Red, led by Richie Moran, Mike French and Eamon McEneaney, defeated Maryland and Frank Urso 16 to 13 in overtime.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
Throughout the 1970s Cornell University was dominant in lacrosse with four national championship appearances to go with three titles. The 1976 and 1977 versions of the Big Red are generally considered to be among the best college lacrosse teams of all time.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
The Big Red's 1976 NCAA championship team featured Hall of Fame players, Eamon McEneaney, Mike French, Robert Henrickson, Dan Mackesey, as well as Hall of Fame coaches, Richie Moran and Michael Waldvogel.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
In the matchup that lacrosse fans wanted to see, for the first time in NCAA tournament history two undefeated teams number 1 Maryland and number 2 Cornell met in the championship game. The game did not disappoint as Cornell down 7-2 at halftime outscored Maryland 6 to 2 in the third period to pull within one goal entering the final period. The Terps opened the fourth period with a goal to go up 10 to 8, but the next four goals belonged to Cornell who led 12 to 10 with three minutes to play.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
Maryland, however, would not back down and get back-to-back goals including a buzzer-beater to knot the game and send the contest into overtime. After an initial goal by the Terps’ Terry Kimball, this was not a sudden death first goal to win finals, Cornell would score four unanswered goals to claim the crown with a 16 to 13 victory.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
Cornell earlier in the tournament recorded the only shutout in NCAA tournament history when they blanked Washington and Lee 14-0 in the first round. In a game that featured both snow and pouring rain, the Big Red did the improbable with goalie Dan Mackesey pitching a shutout making 13 saves. The number 7 seed Generals, who had been national semifinalists the previous year, had an impressive offensive unit coming into the contest having outscored its regular season opponents 147 to 89.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
In a 22-11 semifinal win against Navy, Maryland's Ed Mullen had 7 goals and 5 assists to set a tournament record of 12 total points in one game.


1976 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Tournament overview
In the finals, Mike French tied the then-NCAA tournament single-game scoring record, finishing the day with seven goals and four assists, while Dan Mackesey matched the then-tournament record for saves in a single-game with 28 stops.


1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships were contested June 1−5 at the 54th annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate Division I outdoor track and field events in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
This year's meet was hosted by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.


1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USC finished first in the team standings, capturing their record twenty-sixth national title.


1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
High jumper Dwight Stones of Long Beach State raised his three-year-old world record a half-inch (1 cm) to 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m).


1976 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships
This was the first edition of the NCAA championships with the races measured in meters; previously the race distances were measured in yards.


1976 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament was the eighteenth organized men's college soccer tournament by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, to determine the top college soccer team in the United States. The final match was played at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 5, 1976.


1976 NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament
San Francisco won their third national title, and second consecutive, by defeating Indiana in the championship game, 1–0.


1976 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships
The 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships were contested in March 1976 at the Smith Swimming Center at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island at the 53rd annual NCAA-sanctioned swim meet to determine the team and individual national champions of Division I men's collegiate swimming and diving in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships
USC once again topped the team standings, the Trojans' third consecutive title and eighth overall.


1976 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships
The 1976 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships were the 31st annual tournaments to determine the national champions of NCAA Division I men's singles, doubles, and team collegiate tennis in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships
USC and UCLA shared the team championship, the twelfth for both the Bruins and the Trojans, after the two teams finished tied atop the final team standings (21–21).


1976 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships, Host site
This year's tournaments were contested at the Orville I. Cox Tennis Center at University of Texas–Pan American (now known as University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley) in Edinburg, Texas, but actually played at the HEB Tennis Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.


1976 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships, Team scoring
Until 1977, the men's team championship was determined by points awarded based on individual performances in the singles and doubles events.


1976 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
The 1976 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were the 46th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to be held. The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona hosted the tournament at the McKale Center.


1976 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Iowa took home the team championship with 123.25 points and three individual champions.


1976 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Chuck Yagla of Iowa was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler and Herb Calvert of Oklahoma received the Gorriaran Award.


1976 NCAA Division I baseball rankings
The following poll makes up the 1976 NCAA Division I baseball rankings. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper published its first human poll of the top 20 teams in college baseball in 1957, and expanded to rank the top 30 teams in 1961.


1976 NCAA Division I baseball rankings, Collegiate Baseball
Currently, only the final poll from the 1976 season is available.


1976 NCAA Division I baseball season
The 1976 NCAA Division I baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began in the spring of 1976. The season progressed through the regular season and concluded with the 1976 College World Series. The College World Series, held for the thirtieth time in 1976, consisted of one team from each of eight regional competitions and was held in Omaha, Nebraska at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium as a double-elimination tournament. Arizona claimed the championship for the first time.


1976 NCAA Division I baseball season, Conference winners
This is a partial list of conference champions from the 1976 season. The NCAA sponsored regional competitions to determine the College World Series participants. Seven regionals of four teams and one of six each competed in double-elimination tournaments, with the winners advancing to Omaha. 18 teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship while 16 teams earned at-large selections.


1976 NCAA Division I baseball season, College World Series
The 1976 season marked the thirtieth NCAA Baseball Tournament, which culminated with the eight team College World Series. The College World Series was held in Omaha, Nebraska. The eight teams played a double-elimination format, with Arizona claiming their first championship with a 7–1 win over Eastern Michigan in the final.


1976 NCAA Division I football rankings
Two human polls comprised the 1976 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.


1976 NCAA Division I football season
The 1976 NCAA Division I football season ended with a championship for the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh. Led by head coach Johnny Majors (voted the AFCA Coach of the Year), the Pitt Panthers brought a college football championship to the home of the defending pro football champions, the Steelers. Pitt also had the Heisman Trophy winner, Tony Dorsett; the Panthers had been ranked ninth in the preseason AP poll.


1976 NCAA Division I football season
During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for major college football teams, which became Division I-A in 1978. The NCAA Football Guide, however, did note an "unofficial national champion" based on the top ranked teams in the "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press (AP) was the most popular, followed by the "coaches' poll" by United Press International) (UPI). The AP poll consisted of the votes of as many as 62 writers, though not all voted in each poll, and the UPI poll was taken of a 25-member board of coaches.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, September
In the preseason poll released on September 7, the AP ranked Nebraska first, followed by Michigan, Arizona State (the highest preseason ranking for a WAC team), Ohio State, and Oklahoma.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, September
September 11 No. 1 Nebraska failed to win its opening game, being tied 6–6 by LSU in Baton Rouge, escaping with the stalemate only after the Bayou Bengals missed a 44-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds. No. 2 Michigan beat Wisconsin 40–27, and No. 3 Arizona State lost its home opener 28–10 to No. 17 UCLA, and dropped to 18th, then out of the Top 20 entirely. No. 4 Ohio State beat Michigan State 49–21, and No. 5 Oklahoma won 24–3 at Vanderbilt. After a 31–10 win at No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 9 Pittsburgh rose to third. With Nebraska and Arizona State dropping to 8th and 18th, and Pitt and UCLA moving up, the Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, September
September 18 The top five teams all won: No. 1 Michigan beat Stanford 51–0, and No. 2 Ohio State won 12–7 at No. 7 Penn State. No. 3 Pittsburgh beat Georgia Tech 42–14 in Atlanta, No. 4 Oklahoma beat California 28–17, and No. 5 UCLA beat Arizona 37–9. The poll remained unchanged: 1.Michigan 2.Ohio State 3.Pittsburgh 4.Oklahoma 5.UCLA.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, September
September 25 No. 1 Michigan crushed Navy 70–14, and No. 2 Ohio State lost 22–21 to Missouri and fell to sixth. No. 3 Pittsburgh beat Temple 21–7, No. 4 Oklahoma beat Florida State 24–9, and No. 5 UCLA beat Air Force, 40–7. No. 6 Nebraska, which beat TCU 64–10, returned to the Top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.UCLA and 5.Nebraska


1976 NCAA Division I football season, October
October 2 No. 1 Michigan beat Wake Forest 31–0, and No. 2 Pittsburgh won 44–31 at Duke. No. 3 Oklahoma won 24–10 at Iowa State, while No. 4 UCLA traveled to Columbus and played No. 6 Ohio State to a 10–10 tie. No. 5 Nebraska beat Miami (FL) 17–9, but dropped to sixth. No. 6 Georgia shut out No. 10 Alabama 21–0 and moved up to fourth. Top Five: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Oklahoma 4.Georgia 5.UCLA


1976 NCAA Division I football season, October
October 9  No. 1 Michigan defeated Michigan State 42–10, and No. 2 Pittsburgh beat Louisville 27–6. No. 3 Oklahoma played its annual game in Dallas against No. 16 Texas to a 6–6 tie. No. 4 Georgia was upset 21–17 at Mississippi, No. 5 UCLA beat Stanford 38–20, while No. 6 Nebraska won 24–12 at Colorado and rose to third. No. 7 Maryland, which beat NC State 16–6, rose to fifth. The Top Five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Maryland


1976 NCAA Division I football season, October
October 16 After playing its first five games at home, No. 1 Michigan traveled to Evanston and defeated Northwestern, 38–7. No. 2 Pittsburgh beat Miami (FL), 36–19. No. 3 Nebraska shut out Kansas State 51–0, No. 4 UCLA beat Washington State 62–3, but No. 5 Maryland narrowly beat Wake Forest 17–15, and fell to sixth. No. 6 Oklahoma returned to the Top Five after a 28–10 win at No. 15 Kansas. The top five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.Nebraska 4.UCLA 5.Oklahoma


1976 NCAA Division I football season, October
October 23 No. 1 Michigan won 35–0 at Indiana, while No. 2 Pittsburgh won 45–0 at Navy. No. 3 Nebraska lost 34–24 to No. 17 Missouri. Though Mizzou finished with a 6–5 record, they had also upset USC and Ohio State. No. 4 UCLA won 35–19 at California, No. 5 Oklahoma lost 31–24 at home to Oklahoma State, No. 6 Maryland won 30–3 at Duke to reach 7–0. No. 7  USC (which had lost its opener to Missouri, then won four, beat Oregon State 56–0, and crashed the top 5: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Maryland


1976 NCAA Division I football season, October
October 30 No. 1 Michigan beat Minnesota 45–0 and No. 2 Pittsburgh beat Syracuse, 23–13, as both teams reached 8–0. No. 3 UCLA won 30–21 at Washington and No. 4 USC beat California 20–6. No. 5 Maryland beat Kentucky 24–14, but fell back to sixth place in the polls, trading places with Texas Tech, which had beaten No. 15 Texas 31–28. The top five was: 1.Michigan 2.Pittsburgh 3.UCLA 4.USC 5.Texas Tech


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
November 6 No. 1 Michigan lost 16–14 at Purdue, and fell from the top spot. No. 2 Pittsburgh's 37–7 win over Army allowed it to take over the top spot. No. 3 UCLA beat Oregon 46–0, No. 4 USC won 48–24 at Stanford. No. 5 Texas Tech won 14–10 at TCU. The top five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
November 13 No. 1 Pittsburgh beat West Virginia 24–16, and No. 2 UCLA won 45–14 at Oregon State to extend its record to 9–0–1. No. 3 USC beat Washington 20–3, No. 4 Michigan beat Illinois 38–7, and No. 5 Texas Tech beat SMU 34–7 to reach 8–0. The Top Five was unchanged: 1.Pittsburgh 2.UCLA 3.USC 4.Michigan 5.Texas Tech


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
November 20 While No. 1 Pittsburgh was idle, three conference championships were determined on the same day. In Los Angeles, No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 USC were both unbeaten in the Pac-8, so their crosstown game determined the conference title for the Rose Bowl berth. UCLA suffered its first loss of the season, falling to the Trojans 24–14. The same day in Columbus, Ohio, the Big Ten's two best teams were meeting to determine the other berth in the Rose Bowl.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
In conference play, No. 4 Michigan had one loss and was second to No. 8 Ohio State; it was no contest as Michigan won 22–0 over the Buckeyes and climbed to second. The Southwest Conference title and a trip to the Cotton Bowl came down to a meeting between No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 9 Houston, in its first year of membership; the visiting Cougars handed the Red Raiders their first loss, 27–19.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
No. 6 Maryland closed an 11–0 regular season with a 28–0 win at Virginia, and the ACC champion was invited to meet SWC champion Houston in the Cotton Bowl. Top-ranked Pittsburgh was invited to play in the Sugar Bowl after the players took a vote and made it clear that they would prefer to play SEC champion No. 5 Georgia there rather than face lower ranked Big 8 co-champion Colorado in the Orange Bowl.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
The Orange Bowl then controversially selected Big 10 runner up Ohio State to play Colorado over Pac-8 runner up UCLA, even though UCLA had a better record and higher ranking than Ohio State. It was believed that Ohio State would bring more fans to Miami for the warm weather than UCLA would, and Orange Bowl officials did not like the prospect of a UCLA - Colorado matchup as it would be two schools from the west playing back east. The Top Five was: 1.Pittsburgh 2.Michigan 3.USC 4.Maryland 5.Georgia


1976 NCAA Division I football season, November
November 27 No. 1 Pittsburgh moved its game against Penn State from its campus to Three Rivers Stadium. Pitt had not beaten the Nittany Lions in its last ten meetings, but on the night after Thanksgiving, cruised to a 24–7 win. Tony Dorsett, who rushed for 224 yards and scored two of Pitt's touchdowns, breaking the record for yards in a season (1,948) and becoming the first college player to reach 6,000 yards rushing in a career, closing with 6,082. (He was awarded the Heisman Trophy the following week.) USC maintained its No. 3 ranking with a 17–13 win over Notre Dame, and the final regular season poll was 1.Pittsburgh 2.Michigan 3.USC 4.Maryland 5.Georgia.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, Bowl games, Major bowls
At the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, Pitt quarterback Matt Cavanaugh passed for 192 yards, and Dorsett had 32 carries for 202 yards, overcoming Georgia's heralded "Junkyard Dogs" defense. After taking a 21–0 lead at halftime, the Panthers cemented their number one status with a 27–3 win over Georgia. In the Cotton at Dallas, No. 6 Houston beat No. 4 Maryland 30–21, and No. 3 USC beat No. 2 Michigan 14–6 in the Rose in Pasadena. At the nightcap in Miami, Ohio State justified their Orange Bowl invitation by crushing Colorado, 27–10.


1976 NCAA Division I football season, Bowl games, Major bowls
Pittsburgh received 59 of the 62 first place votes cast to win the AP Trophy, and was ranked No. 1 by UPI as well, followed by 2.USC 3.Michigan 4.Houston and 5.Oklahoma. The other Division I unbeaten team, Rutgers (11–0), was ranked 17th in the final poll.


1976 NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1975-6 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by the University of Puget Sound and Puget Sound's Curt Peterson was the Most Outstanding Player.


1976 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
The 1976 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship was the third annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champions of NCAA Division II men's college lacrosse in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
The championship game was played at UMBC Stadium at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland.


1976 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship
After losing in the final the prior two seasons, Hobart defeated Adelphi, 19−9, to win their first national title.


1976 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship
The 1976 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship was the fifth annual tournament held by the NCAA to determine the top men's Division II college soccer program in the United States.


1976 NCAA Division II Soccer Championship
Loyola (MD) defeated New Haven in the final match, 2–0, to win their first national title. The final was played at Memorial Stadium in Seattle, Washington on November 27, 1976.


1976 NCAA Division II football rankings
The 1976 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the Associated Press. This is for the 1976 NCAA Division II football season.


1976 NCAA Division II football season
The 1976 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1976 and concluded with the championship game on December 11 at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Montana State Bobcats defeated the Akron Zips 24–13 in the Pioneer Bowl to win their only Division II national title.


1976 NCAA Division II football season, Conference summaries
Big Sky Conference – Montana StateCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Norfolk StateFar Western Football Conference – UC DavisGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – NorthwoodGulf South Conference – Troy StateLone Star Conference – Texas A&IMissouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Northeast Missouri State and Southeast Missouri StateNorth Central Conference – North Dakota StateNorthern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–MorrisPennsylvania State Athletic Conference – East StroudsburgRocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Western StateSouth Atlantic Conference – ElonSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II) – Bethune-CookmanYankee Conference – New Hampshire


1976 NCAA Division II football season, Postseason
The 1976 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the fourth single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's Division II college football. The championship game (Pioneer Bowl) was held at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas for the first time.