Auction Item Details
Lot 65
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Lot Number: 65
Description: Rare and Important 1966 NCAA Finals "Glory Road" Ticket Stub – Highest graded example. The Texas Western Miners enjoyed a fine 1965-66 regular season ending with only one loss and a national ranking of third in the college polls. Led by coach Don Haskins, the Miners entered the NCAA tournament and unexpectedly advanced to the Championship game after two overtime victories including one over fourth ranked Kansas. They were set to face the powerful Kentucky Wildcats behind their legendary coach, Adolph Rupp. The Miners surprised the Wildcats, and the basketball world, by capturing the championship game by a score of 72-65. Of historical note, Haskins’ starting line-up for the game was the first instance in which an All-African American starting line-up were crowned as NCAA Champions. The game itself was played at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland before a crowd of only 14,253 spectators at 10pm at night and was not even nationally televised. The spectators were white, the sportswriters were largely white, the referees were white, and the opposing players were white. At tip off, there were Kentucky fans waving Confederate flags near the top of the stadium rafters. Much to the surprise of everyone not on the Texas Western bench, the heavily favored Wildcats were methodically dismantled by the Miners and in turn a barrier was broken that would change the sports landscape for the future. Nonetheless, the Miners were still confronted with painful reminders of the times including not supplying the team with a ladder to take part in the tradition of cutting down the net after the game. The game was memorialized in the 2006 classic sports film “Glory Road” and has become recognized as one of the most important basketball games ever played. Offered is an original ticket stub to the game which has been graded “NM 7” by PSA. It is the “blue variety” as noted on the PSA holder and one of only (14) total (of any variety) which they have authenticated and it ranks as the only which has graded at this level with none higher: PSA NM 7Estimated Price Range: ($5,000-$7,500)
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