The college basketball season comes to an end tonight. Either the UConn Huskies will cement their dynasty or the dominant Michigan Wolverines will finish the story on their season long supremacy.
After the champion is crowned and the celebrations begin to subside, “One Shining Moment” will play as it has for many years. Here’s what it is and how it began.
‘One Shining Moment’ and Its Origins
It’s not March Madness without its finale. “One Shining Moment” is a compilation of the best moments and emotions from that year’s NCAA Tournament and it eventually culminates with the champion’s celebrations. Each year, fans wait to watch “One Shining Moment” before shutting off their screens and putting the college basketball season to rest.
The montage became synonymous with the tournament in 1987 because of a man named David Barrett. Barrett is from Ann-Arbor, Michigan and wrote the song, “One Shining Moment,” while enjoying some time at a bar. Barrett was watching highlights of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. Between his vision for the song and the highlights, he created an anthem that will last forever.
CBS caught wind of the song. It was set to air for Super Bowl 21, but there was no time to run it. Eventually, the song found itself played after the 1987 NCAA national championship game and it found a home.
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It was a huge hit and is still the soundtrack of March Madness, appearing each year during the final moments of NCAA Tournament coverage. The Wolverines will be trying to bring the title back to Barrett’s hometown in 2026 as they aim to win their first title since 1989. What a moment it would be for Barrett’s “One Shining Moment” to end with his hometown team cutting down the nets in 2026.
All the players wait on stage as they hold the trophy and soak in the three minutes of cinema that culminates with their own celebrations. Although the euphoria will continue into the late hours of the night, the players hold their enthusiasm for a few minutes as they take in their road to cutting down the nets.
Fans can expect the craziest moments of this year’s March Madness in the montage. Otega Oweh’s game-tying shot, Tyler Tanner’s near miss on his half-court shot, and Braylon Mullins’ game winner against Duke should all be locks to feature in the final montage. But the question remains, which team will be left standing as the national champions?
