How One Shining Moment is made and the 2026 March Madness moments it deserves

The NCAA Tournament is wrapping up and fans are eagerly awaiting the latest edition of One Shining Moment. The roughly three-minute video serves as a fitting capper to March Madness and it's final chapter is still waiting to be written as UCONN and Michigan square off for the national championship on Monday night.

Storylines abound for both programs, who have unique legacies to add to with a title, and the video will surely reflect their journeys as well as some of the tournament's signature moments. Before we take a look at what could make this year's One Shining Moment video, let's dive into the history of the event's signature capstone.

How One Shining Moment became a March Madness staple

The song itself was created in 1986 by David Barrett, who Yahoo's Jeff Eisenberg notes wrote the song after an encounter with an attractive female bartender and shared a finished version with Armen Keteyian, who was working for CBS at the time.

Keteyian passed the song on to his colleagues at the network level, who were planning to run it at the conclusion of Super Bowl XXV.

The game between the Giants and Broncos ran too long, however, so the song was saved for the conclusion of the next NCAA Tournament instead. One Shining Moment became a hit and has been a March Madness staple ever since.

Who sings One Shining Moment?

Barrett sang the original version of One Shining Moment, which CBS used from 1987-1993 and again from 2000-2002. The most popular version of the song is a remake sung by Luther Vandross, whose take on One Shining Moment has been the primary one used since 2003.

One notable exception occurred in 2010, when Jennifer Hudson was enlisted to perform an updated version of the song. Reaction to the change was very negative, leading Vandross' version to be brought back in 2011.

One Shining Moment Lyrics

The full lyrics to One Shining Moment are listed in this piece from Sports Illustrated's Charlotte Carroll back in 2018. Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the visuals in the video are often tied to the song's lyrics, with a tip-off airing to "the ball is tipped" and a jump shot usally coinciding with "you're a shooting star".

The ball is tipped
And there you are
You're running for your life
You're a shooting star
And all the years
No one knows
Just how hard you worked
But now it shows...
In One Shining Moment, it's all on the line
In One Shining Moment, they're frozen in time

But time is short
And the road is long
In the blinking of an eye
That moment's gone
And when it's done
Win or lose
You always did your best
Cause inside you knew...
That in One Shining Moment, you reached deep inside
One Shining Moment, you knew you were alive

Feel the beat of your heart
Feel the wind in your face
It's more than a contest
It's more than a race...

And when it's done
Win or lose
You always did your best
Cause inside you knew...
In One Shining Moment, you reached for the sky
In One Shining Moment, you knew…
In One Shining Moment, you were willing to try
In One Shining Moment, you knew
One Shining Moment

What Makes A Moment "One Shining Moment' Worthy

Ralph Russo did a great piece exploring how One Shining Moment is produced for NCAA.com back in 2017, and the production crews shooting each game often share their suggestions with the video producers. Sticking to the lyrics is helpful, so finding things like an older coach for the "all the years" makes a good choice for a shot in the video.

Viral moments from the tournament also are good locks to make it. Villanova's crying piccolo player made the One Shining Moment video in 2015 while the 2018 March Madness video showcased Loyola Chicago's team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, who became an internet sensation during the Ramblers' stunning final four run.

There will also be plenty of great basketball dunks, three-point shots and reaction shots in the One Shining Moment video. Prominent early upsets often draw the spotlight while a good buzzer-beater is often a highlight of the video.

Russo's piece also reveals that most of the editing on the video is done in the lead up to the Final Four. The video has about two and a half minutes completed heading into the national championship game and the ending is completed during the contest.

What Moments From The 2026 NCAA Tournament Will Make The One Shining Moment Video

There have been a lot of iconic moments to choose from in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which could make for some tough cuts for the video editors. Let's break down a few good options from the early rounds of the tournament.

Cindirellas and upsets

• Miami of Ohio's win was such an electric atmosphere in Dayton that they may get a look. At minimum, the Redhawks' speedo-clad swim team may make an appearance.
• High Point's upset of Wisconsin is a lock to be included, with Chase Johnston's go-ahead layup and coach Flynn Clayman's post game speech both representing potential options
• Iowa's upset of Florida, with Alvaro Folgueiras' go-ahead three being a spotlight piece.

March Madness regulars to newbies

• Dick Vitale, who called his first NCAA Tournament game in the First Four, could also be spotlighted in the "all the years" spot in the video.
• Previous legend with sons in the tournament, such as Carlos Boozer and Peja Stojakovic, also feel like good choices to appear in the celebrity fan crowd shots.
• Bill Murray, whose son Luke is finishing his run as an assistant at UCONN, is more likely to appear in the video if the Huskies win a championship.

Buzzer beats and comebacks we'll never forget

• Otega Oweh's game-tying three-pointer from the Kentucky-Santa Clara game.
• The final sequence of Vanderbilt-Nebraska, with Tyler Tanner's potential game-winning three going halfway down and out, feels like a prime candidate to go with the "your moment's gone" lyrics.
• Dylan Darling's true buzzer-beater to help St. John's reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
• UCONN's 19-point comeback against Duke in the Elite Eight, with Braylon Mullins' go-ahead shot, is a lock.

Make sure to stick around after the Michigan-UConn game to see how many of your favorite March moments make the cut.