2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game Ratings Highest in 18 Years

The 2015 NCAA men's basketball national championship game didn't feature Kentucky going for a perfect season, but that didn't stop it from garnering its best television rating in nearly two decades.

According to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated, CBS scored a 17.1 rating for Duke's 68-63 triumph over Wisconsin, which was the highest mark in 18 years:

The 2015 title game also saw a massive increase in ratings over last year's clash between Connecticut and Kentucky, per Richard Sandomir of The New York Times:

There is no question that Monday's finale featured some intriguing storylines, including National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky going up against potential No. 1 overall draft pick Jahlil Okafor.

The game was compelling from start to finish. The score was tied at halftime, and the Blue Devils didn't secure the win until the final couple of minutes.

Perhaps the increased ratings had something to do with interest in the 2015 NCAA tournament as a whole. According to March Madness TV, the tourney scored its highest viewership in 22 years:

With so many great teams and individual players to watch throughout March Madness, it is easy to see why fans rushed to their televisions in droves.

Ultimately, the national championship game ratings prove that the viewing audience remained riveted by the tournament from start to finish.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.