View source for 1961 NCAA University Division Men's Basketball Tournament

{{ttop|Cincinnati}}
The first round games in the East Regional mark the last time NCAA tournament games were played within the city of New York proper.  (Later tournaments would see games hosted in Jamaica, Uniondale, and across the river at the Meadowlands, but never within the city itself.)

The four-overtime third-place game between [[Saint Joseph's (PA)|Saint Joseph's]] and [[Utah]] was, and remains, the longest game in the history of the tournament.

Two regionals held their first round games at the same site as the regional site; this would never happen again.  Also of note was the bizarre layout of the West bracket, with the two teams having byes playing one another in the semifinals rather than each playing a winner of a first round game.
=='''East Regional'''==
{{bracket7-reg-uns-3 | Info2=Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte NC<br>(Host: ?)
| RD1=Quarterfinals, Mar 14<br>New York City NY
| RD2=Semifinals, Mar 17
| RD3=Championship, Mar 18
| group1=
| group2=
| group3=
| group4=
| group5=
| group6=
| group7=
| RD1-team1=[[Rhode Island]]
| RD1-score1=76
| RD1-team2=[[Saint Bonaventure]]
| RD1-score2=86
| RD1-team3=[[Saint John's (NY)]]
| RD1-score3=74
| RD1-team4=[[Wake Forest]]
| RD1-score4=97
| RD1-team5=[[George Washington]]
| RD1-score5=67
| RD1-team6=[[Princeton]]
| RD1-score6=84
| RD2-team1=Saint Bonaventure
| RD2-score1=73
| RD2-team2=Wake Forest
| RD2-score2=78
| RD2-team3=Princeton
| RD2-score3=67
| RD2-team4=[[Saint Joseph's (PA)]]
| RD2-score4=72
| RD3-team1=Wake Forest
| RD3-score1=86
| RD3-team2=Saint Joseph's (PA)
| RD3-score2=96
| RD3-team3=Saint Bonaventure
| RD3-score3=85
| RD3-team4=Princeton
| RD3-score4=67
}}
=='''Mideast Regional'''==
{{bracket6-reg-uns-3 | Info2=Freedom Hall, Louisville KY<br>(Host: University of Louisville?)
| RD1=Quarterfinals, Mar 14<br>Louisville KY
| RD2=Semifinals, Mar 17
| RD3=Championship, Mar 18
| group1=
| group2=
| RD1-team1=[[Xavier]]
| RD1-score1=66
| RD1-team2=[[Morehead State]]
| RD1-score2=71
| RD1-team3=[[Ohio]]
| RD1-score3=70
| RD1-team4=[[Louisville]]
| RD1-score4=76
| RD2-team1=Morehead State
| RD2-score1=64
| RD2-team2=[[Kentucky]]
| RD2-score2=71
| RD2-team3=Louisville
| RD2-score3=55
| RD2-team4=[[Ohio State]]
| RD2-score4=56
| RD3-team1=Kentucky
| RD3-score1=74
| RD3-team2=Ohio State
| RD3-score2=87
| RD3-team3=Morehead State
| RD3-score3=61
| RD3-team4=Louisville
| RD3-score4=83
}}
=='''Midwest Regional'''==
{{bracket5-reg-uns-3 | Info2=Allen Field House, Lawrence KS<br>(Host: University of Kansas?)
| RD1=Quarterfinals, Mar 15<br>Houston TX
| RD2=Semifinals, Mar 17
| RD3=Championship, Mar 18
| group2=
| RD1-team1=[[Marquette]]
| RD1-score1=61
| RD1-team2=[[Houston]]
| RD1-score2=77
| RD2-team1=[[Texas Tech]]
| RD2-score1=55
| RD2-team2=[[Cincinnati]]
| RD2-score2=78
| RD2-team3=Houston
| RD2-score3=64
| RD2-team4=[[Kansas State]]
| RD2-score4=75
| RD3-team1=Cincinnati
| RD3-score1=69
| RD3-team2=Kansas State
| RD3-score2=64
| RD3-team3=Texas Tech
| RD3-score3=69
| RD3-team4=Houston
| RD3-score4=67
}}
=='''West Regional'''==
{{bracket6-reg-uns-3-wtf | Info2=Memorial Coliseum, Portland OR<br>(Host: ?)
| RD1=Quarterfinals, Mar 15<br>Portland OR
| RD2=Semifinals, Mar 17
| RD3=Championship, Mar 18
| group1=
| group2=
| RD1-team1=[[Arizona State]]
| RD1-score1=72
| RD1-team2=[[Seattle]]
| RD1-score2=70
| RD1-team3=[[Southern California]]
| RD1-score3=81
| RD1-team4=[[Oregon]]
| RD1-score4=79
| RD2-team1=Arizona State
| RD2-score1=86
| RD2-team2=Southern California
| RD2-score2=71
| RD2-team3=[[Loyola Marymount|Loyola-Los Angeles]]
| RD2-score3=75
| RD2-team4=[[Utah]]
| RD2-score4=91
| RD3-team1=Arizona State
| RD3-score1=80
| RD3-team2=Utah
| RD3-score2=88
| RD3-team3=Southern California
| RD3-score3=67
| RD3-team4=Loyola-Los Angeles
| RD3-score4=69
}}
=='''Final Four'''==
{{bracket4-3 | INFO=Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City MO<br>(Host: ?)
| RD1=Semifinals, Mar 24
| RD2=Finals, Mar 25
| RD1-team1=Saint Joseph's (PA)
| RD1-score1=69
| RD1-team2=Ohio State
| RD1-score2=95
| RD1-team3=Cincinnati
| RD1-score3=82
| RD1-team4=Utah
| RD1-score4=67
| RD2-team1=Ohio State
| RD2-score1=65
| RD2-team2=Cincinnati
| RD2-score2=70
| RD2-OT1=OT
| RD2-team3=Saint Joseph's (PA)
| RD2-score3=127
| RD2-team4=Utah
| RD2-score4=120
| RD2-OT2=4OT
}}
'''Most Outstanding Player''': Jerry Lucas, Ohio State.
{{d1mbottom|1961}}