Notably, this was the first time that two teams from the same conference (the Big Ten) played in the title game.

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 was the second year of the 32-team field, and the NCAA announced the selections several days prior to the end of the regular season.

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1976 tournament: First round Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight) National semifinals, 3rd-place game, and championship (Final Four and championship) * – Denotes overtime period Curt Gowdy, Dick Enberg, and Billy Packer - Final Four at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dick Enberg and Billy Packer called the first game while Packer teamed with Curt Gowdy for the second game.

For the Championship Game, Dick Enberg and Curt Gowdy called it while NBC used Billy Packer as a studio analyst.