Duke-Butler NCAA final generates highest TV rating since 2005

NEW YORK — The NCAA championship game earned its highest television rating since 2005.

Duke's 61-59 victory over Butler on Monday night on CBS earned a 14.2 fast national rating. That's up 31 percent from the 10.8 for North Carolina's 89-72 victory over Michigan State in last year's title game.

Duke-Butler got the best rating since a 15.0 for North Carolina-Illinois in 2005. More than 48 million viewers saw at least some of Monday's game, the most since 50 million tuned in for Arizona-Kentucky in 1997, when the U.S. population was lower.

The 2010 tournament averaged a 6.0 rating, up 5 percent from last season.

Rating represents the percentage of all households with televisions, including those sets not in use.

Fans welcome Duke

DURHAM, N.C. — About 9,000 fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium greeted the Duke team when it returned to campus from Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon.

The victory kicked off a long celebration on the campus, starting with thousands of students gathering around a bonfire on a quad near the Duke Chapel early Tuesday. The party was still going in the afternoon.

"I've been doing this here at Duke for 30 years," said coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has won four NCAA titles. "This is as good of a group of guys as I've coached here in 30 years."

Butler parties, too

INDIANAPOLIS — The only thing missing was a championship trophy.

Butler and its fans — new and old — partied inside Hinkle Fieldhouse as if the Bulldogs had won the national title.

About 4,000 fans came to Hinkle and provided an atmosphere that seemingly was as festive as it was about a week earlier when the Bulldogs were still celebrating their first Final Four appearance.

President Obama called.

"I think his message was that he wasn't just going to call the team that won today because of the way both teams played," Butler coach Brad Stevens said.

Notes

• Gonzaga freshman Elias Harris, who averaged 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds and is considered a potential NBA player, said he plans to return next season.

• Coaching carousel: Boston College hired ex-Cornell coach Steve Donahue; DePaul hired ex-Clemson coach Oliver Purnell; and a source said Citadel coach Ed Conroy has agreed to coach Tulane.

Fired Oregon coach Ernie Kent had been mentioned as a candidate for the Tulane job.

• Syracuse's Jim Boeheim has been selected the Naismith coach of the year.