Cutting Down the Nets

From the Yahoo Sports Blog "How did the tradition of cutting down nets begin?" by Chris Chase.


"The most unpredictable events in sports has one of the most predictable ending. Whatever happens Monday night, in the NCAA championship, the winning team will congregate around a basket and collectively cut down the net to celebrate its title."

(No kidding about the unpredictable part. Just take a look at my brackets. I wonder how they determine which net ro cut down, though.)

This net cutting is accomplished with a ladder and special pair of scissors.

The tradition dates to the Indiana high school tournament in the 1920s. (The term March Madness was used for the Illinois tournament before the NCAA took it.) The winner would cut the net down. Everett Case's Frankfort team won four state titles from 1925 to 1939.

In World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and became athletic director of various flight schools. After the war, he became the basketball coach at North Carolina State. The Wolfpack won the Southern Conference title whereupon Case and the team cut down the net.

It was much more informal back then with players hoisting each other up to the rim and cutting it with scissors scrounged from somewhere.

Case did this several times in the Southern Conference and then with the newly formed Atlantic Coast Conference. Case created the ACC Tournament.

In 1964, he was diagnosed with melanoma and lived just 18 months more. Before his death, the Wolfpack upset ACC Tournament #1 seed Duke in the final. After the game, the State players went over to the press row, hoisted Case onto their shoulders and walked over to the basket where he cut down the net.

23 years coaching high school: 726-75 record
18 years NC State coach: 377-134 record
Won the Southern Conference tournament each year 1947 to 1952
Won ACC Tournament '54, '55, '56 and '59.

From Wikipedia.

An Interesting Story. --Cooter