Michigan won the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball national championship, beating UConn in the title game, 69-63. It was the only close game that the Wolverines played on their 6-0 March Madness run to the title, and yet it was still never close enough to truly be in doubt.
Michigan seemed inevitable during the NCAA tournament and throughout the rest of their season as they went 37-3, falling just one win short of the record of 38 wins in a season by a men's team, previously reached by three different John Calipari teams at Kentucky ('11-'12, '14-'15) and Memphis ('07-'08.)
Turner Sports's Ian Eagle was on the call for TBS, TNT and truTV and delivered a fitting call as time expired in the game.
"Hail to the champions. Hail to Michigan. For the first time in 37 years, the Wolverines win the National Title." -Ian Eagle pic.twitter.com/46JoMW8JnY
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2026
"Hail to the Champions! Hail to Michigan! For the first time in 37 years, the Wolverines win the national title," said an enthusiastic Eagle. "An unstoppable force in this tournament. 69 to 63 the final. Michigan... is a machine. And they're the national champions."
Eagle checked all the boxes on the call. He referenced the school's traditions, explained how long their fanbase had been waiting for a title and drove home how they accomplished their championship feat.
Michigan's only other national championship in basketball came in '89. They reached the Elite Eight five long years ago when Juwan Howard was coach and previous to that lost in the national championship game to Villanova under John Beilein. Now they finally got it done under Dusty May.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
- SI:AM | Michigan Grinds Its Way to a Championship
- It’s the Big Ten’s World. The Rest of College Sports Is Living in It.
- Alex Karaban Leaves as UConn’s Ultimate Winner—But One Title Short
- Dusty May’s Ambitious Vision Carried a Michigan Juggernaut to a Championship
- From Obscurity to Immortality: Yaxel Lendeborg’s Gritty Masterpiece Seals Michigan’s Title
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ian Eagle’s Final Call of Michigan’s National Championship Victory: ‘Hail to the Champions!'.
