:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71680242/1444345077.0.jpg "What is the longest college basketball game ever? Where does Alabama-UNC rank?")
The third-place game of the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational turned into a marathon as No. 18 Alabama took down No. 1 North Carolina in a 103-101 four-overtime thriller. This early-season tournament showdown in Portland, OR, earned the distinction of being the third-longest game in college basketball history.
The longest game in men's college basketball history took place on December 21, 1981, where Cincinnati defeated Bradley 75-73 in seven overtimes. This game took place before the widespread the implementation of the shot clock in college basketball and nine players recorded over 60 minutes of game time.
The second-longest game in college basketball history and longest game during the shot clock era is the epic six-overtime battle between Syracuse and UConn during the quarterfinals of the 2009 Big East Tournament. The Johnny Flynn-led Orange battled the Kemba Walker-led Huskies deep into the early hours of the morning at Madison Square Garden as Syracuse ultimately pulled ahead for a 127-117 victory.