NAIA men's basketball championship

NAIA men's basketball championship

Current season, competition or edition: 2025 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Formerly	National college basketball tournament (1937–1981)
Sport	College basketball
Founded	1937 (1937)
Founder	James Naismith
Motto	Passion. Tradition. History.
Divisions	1 2 (1992–2020)
No. of teams	64 (2022–present) 32 (1992–2020) 48 (2021)
Venue(s)	Municipal Auditorium (1937–1974, 2002–present) Kemper Arena (1975–1993) Mabee Center (1994–1998) Reynolds Center (1999) Tulsa Convention Center (2000–2001) Montgomery Fieldhouse (1992–1998) Idaho Center (1998–1999) Keeter Gymnasium (2000–2017) Sanford Pentagon (2018–2020)
Most recent champion(s)	College of Idaho (2nd)
Most titles	D-I: Oklahoma City (6) D-II: Bethel (IN), Cornerstone, Indiana Wesleyan, and Oregon Tech (3 each)
TV partner(s)	CBS College Sports Network (national) ESPN 3 (national) TWC Sports Channel (Kansas City area) Victory Sports Network (national)
Related competitions	NAIA women's basketball championship
Official website	naia.org/sports/mbkb

The NAIA men's basketball national championship has been held annually by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics since 1937 to determine the national champion of men's college basketball among its members in the United States and Canada.

The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities and has been held every year since, with the exceptions of 1944 (due to World War II) and 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Since 2022, the tournament has featured 64 teams, with teams beginning play at one of sixteen regional sites with the winners of those regionals playing at the final venue.

From 1992 to 2020, the NAIA sponsored two championships, one for its Division I members and another for those in its Division II. The Division I tournament was played in Kansas City, Missouri while the Division II tournament moved locations several times (it finished, in 2020, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota). During this time, the NAIA tournaments featured 32 teams with the entire events contested at one location in one week (rather than multiple locations over a series of weekends).

After the 2020 tournaments were cancelled, however, they were merged back into a single tournament, which initially featured 48 teams in 2021 before expanding to 64 teams in 2022.

All tournament games can be watched online through the official NAIA provider StretchInternet.

College of Idaho are the reigning national champions, winning their second NAIA national title in 2025.

History

The Men's Basketball Championship is mostly played at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. It has been held in Kansas City every year since the tournament began except from 1994 to 2001, when it was played in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and in 2020, when no tournament was held. Kansas City will continue to host until at least 2024.

In 2018, the NAIA announced a new format for the 2021 tournament after the merger of D-I and D-II. Under the new format, the men's and women's tournaments each involve 64 teams (the first post-COVID tournaments in 2021 had 48 teams). The first two rounds are played at 16 separate sites, with only the 16 winners at these sites advancing to Kansas City.

The tournament MVP has been presented with the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player award since 1939. In 1948, the NAIA became the first national organization to open their intercollegiate postseason to black student-athletes due primarily to the media attention surrounding the Manhattan Jaspers. Manhattan, who had an all-white team, learned of the NAIA rule that prohibited blacks from participating in the tournament, and after asking the NAIA to rescind the rule, the NAIA refused and Manhattan withdrew from the tournament. "The battle might have ended there but for a man named Harry Henshel, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball committee. One of the reasons that the NAIA tournament was so prestigious was that the champion was invited to compete at the Olympic trials in New York City in late March. (The other teams invited were the two NCAA finalists, three teams from the Amateur Athletic Union, the winner of the National Invitation Tournament, and a YMCA team.)" After reading in the New York papers that blacks could not participate in the tournament, Henshel suggested to the media that the NAIA national champion be eliminated from Olympic consideration. NAIA officials read Hershel’s statement in the papers and quickly took a telegraphic poll amongst its members the following day that rescinded the racial ban. In 1947, Coach John Wooden of Indiana State refused the invitation to the NAIA National Tournament primarily because Clarence J. Walker, the only black player on his team could not participate. Because of the stance taken by Manhattan and Harry Hansel, in 1948, Coach Wooden was able to take Walker to the tournament who became the first African-American student-athlete to play in the NAIA tournament. Walker, a vital role player, helped the Sycamores finish as the NAIA's national finalist. In 1957, Tennessee State became the first historically black college to win a national championship, and the first team to win three consecutive tournaments. As of 2017, Kentucky State is the only other school to do so (1970, 1971, 1972). Oklahoma City holds the record for the most tournament championships with six. OCU also holds the record for most national championship titles in NAIA women's basketball.

Results

• From 1937 to 1991, it was a single division
• From 1992, it became the "Division I", returning to a single division in 2021.

NAIA Basketball Championship
Edition	Year	Location	Arena		Championship				Third-place game
					Champion	Score	Runner-up		Third place	Score	Fourth place
1	1937	Kansas City, MO	Municipal Auditorium		Central Missouri State	35–24	Morningside		Southwestern (KS)	46–38	Arkansas State Teachers
2	1938				Central Missouri State	45–30	Roanoke		Murray State	33–24	Washburn
3	1939				Southwestern (KS)	32–31	San Diego State		Glenville State	42–26	Peru State
4	1940				Tarkio	52–31	San Diego State		Delta State	45–26	Hamline
5	1941				San Diego State	36–32	Murray State		West Texas State	43–35	Santa Barbara State
6	1942				Hamline	33–31	Southeastern State (OK)		Pittsburg State	58–47	Central Missouri State
7	1943				Southeast Missouri State	34–32	Northwest Missouri State		North Texas State	59–55 (OT)	Murray State
–	1944	(No Tournament held)
8	1945	Kansas City, MO	Municipal Auditorium		Loyola New Orleans	49–36	Pepperdine		Eastern Kentucky State	56–49	Southern Illinois Normal
9	1946				Southern Illinois Nomrmal	49–40	Indiana State		Pepperdine	82–55	Loyola New Orleans
10	1947				Marshall	73–59	Mankato State		Arizona State–Flagstaff	47–38	Kansas State Teachers
11	1948				Louisville	82–70	Indiana State		Hamline	59–58	Xavier (OH)
12	1949				Hamline	57–46	Regis		Beloit	67–59	Indiana State
13	1950				Indiana State	61–47	East Central State (OK)		Central Methodist	80–67	Tampa
14	1951				Hamline	69–61	Millikin		Baldwin–Wallace	82–76	Regis
15	1952				Southwest Missouri State	73–64	Murray State		Southwest Texas State	78–68	Portland
16	1953				Southwest Missouri State	79–71	Hamline		Indiana State	74–71	East Texas State
17	1954				St. Benedict's (KS)	62–56	Western Illinois State		Southwest Missouri State	75–61	Arkansas Tech
18	1955				East Texas State	71–54	Southeastern Oklahoma State		Western Illinois State	77–74	Arkansas Tech
19	1956				McNeese State	60–55	Texas Southern		Pittsburg State	77–70	Wheaton (IL)
20	1957				Tennessee A&I	92–73	Southeastern State (OK)		Pacific Lutheran	87–85	Eastern Illinois State
21	1958				Tennessee A&I	85–73	Western Illinois		Texas Southern	121–109	Georgetown (KY)
22	1959				Tennessee A&I	97–87	Pacific Lutheran		Southwest Texas State	87–80	Fort Hays State
23	1960				Southwest Texas State	66–44	Westminster (PA)		Tennessee A&M	100–65	William Jewell
24	1961				Grambling	95–75	Georgetown (KY)		Northern Michigan	101–84	Westminster (PA)
25	1962				Prairie View A&M	62–53	Westminster (PA)		Southeastern State (OK)	76–62	Western Illinois
26	1963				Pan American	73–62	Western Carolina		Grambling	107–86	Fort Hays State
27	1964				Rockhurst	66–56	Pan American		Carson–Newman	73–60	Kansas State Teachers
28	1965				Central State (OH)	85–51	Oklahoma Baptist		Ouachita Baptist	78–71	Fairmont State
29	1966				Oklahoma Baptist	88–59	Georgia Southern		Grambling	110–110	Virginia State–Norfolk
30	1967				St. Benedict's (KS)	71–65	Oklahoma Baptist		Central Washington State	106–92	Morris Harvey
31	1968				Central State (OH)	51–48	Fairmont State		Oshkosh State	102–68	Westminster (PA)
32	1969				Eastern New Mexico	99–76	Maryland State		Central Washington State	96–82	Elizabeth City State
33	1970				Kentucky State	79–71	Central Washington State		Eastern New Mexico	77–72 (OT)	Guilford
34	1971				Kentucky State	102–82	Eastern Michigan		Elizabeth City State	88–87 (OT)	Fairmont State
35	1972				Kentucky State	71–62	Wisconsin–Eau Claire		Stephen F. Austin	94–91	Gardner–Webb
36	1973				Guilford	99–96	Maryland–Eastern Shore		Augustana (IL)	96–93	Slippery Rock State
37	1974				West Georgia	97–79	Alcorn State		Kentucky State	95–79	St. Mary's (TX)
38	1975		Kemper Arena		Grand Canyon	65–54	Midwestern		Alcorn State	76–74	St. Mary's (TX)
39	1976				Coppin State	96–91	Henderson State		Marymount (KS)	78–75	Lincoln Memorial
40	1977				Texas Southern	71–44	Campbell		Henderson State	96–73	Grand Valley State
41	1978				Grand Canyon	79–75	Kearney State		Quincy	87–73	East Texas State
42	1979				Drury	60–54	Henderson State		Southwest Texas State	101–88	Midwestern State
43	1980				Cameron	84–77	Alabama State		Huron	59–54	Wisconsin–Eau Claire
44	1981				Bethany Nazarene	86–85 (OT)	Alabama-Huntsville		Wisconsin–Eau Claire	90–60	Hillsdale
45	1982				South Carolina–Spartanburg	51–38	Biola		Hampton	98–94	Kearney State
46	1983				College of Charleston	57–53	West Virginia Wesleyan		Fort Hays State	85–76	Chaminade
47	1984				Fort Hays State	48–46 (OT)	Wisconsin–Stevens Point		Chicago State	86–82 (OT)	Westmont
48	1985				Fort Hays State	82–80 OT	Wayland Baptist		Marycrest	108–94	Central Washington State
49	1986				David Lipscomb	67–54	Arkansas-Monticello		Southeastern Oklahoma State	75–74	St. Thomas Aquinas
50	1987				Washburn	79–77	West Virginia State		Central Washington State	76–69	Georgetown (KY)
51	1988				Grand Canyon	88–86 OT	Auburn Montgomery		College of Charleston	89–61	Waynesburg
52	1989				St. Mary's (TX)	61–58	East Central		Central Washington State & Wisconsin–Eau Claire
53	1990				Birmingham–Southern	88–80	Wisconsin–Eau Claire		David Lipscomb & Georgetown (KY)
54	1991				Oklahoma City	77–74	Central Arkansas		Pfeiffer & Taylor
55	1992				Oklahoma City	82–73 (OT)	Central Arkansas		BYU Hawaii & Pfeiffer
56	1993				Hawaii Pacific	88–83	Oklahoma Baptist		Georgetown (KY) & Midwestern State
57	1994	Tulsa, OK	Mabee Center		Oklahoma City	99–81	Life		Midwestern State & Oklahoma Baptist
58	1995				Birmingham–Southern	92–76	Pfeiffer		Arkansas Tech & Belmont
59	1996				Oklahoma City	86–80	Georgetown (KY)		Belmont & Lipscomb
60	1997				Life	73–64	Oklahoma Baptist		Cumberland (KY) & Point Park
61	1998				Georgetown (KY)	83–69	Southern Nazarene		Azusa Pacific & Park (MO)
62	1999		Donald W. Reynolds Center		Life	63–60	Mobile		Azusa Pacific & Westmont
63	2000		Tulsa Convention Center		Life	61–59	Georgetown (KY)		Biola & Olivet Nazarene
64	2001				Faulkner	63–59	USAO		Christian Heritage College & Pikeville
65	2002	Kansas City, MO	Municipal Auditorium		USAO	96–79	Oklahoma Baptist		Azusa Pacific & Barat
66	2003				Concordia–Irvine	88–84 (OT)	Mountain State		Georgetown (KY) & McKendree
67	2004				Mountain State	74–70	Concordia Irvine		Georgetown (KY) & Mobile
68	2005				John Brown	65–55	Azusa Pacific		Carroll (MT) & Robert Morris (IL)
69	2006				Texas Wesleyan	67–65	Oklahoma City		Oklahoma Baptist & Robert Morris (IL)
70	2007				Oklahoma City	79–71	Concordia–Irvine		Faulkner & Robert Morris (IL)
71	2008				Oklahoma City	75–72	Mountain State		Campbellsville & Georgetown (KY)
72	2009			Rocky Mountain	77–61	Columbia (MO)	MidAmerica Nazarene & Robert Morris (IL)
73	2010			Oklahoma Baptist	84–83	Azusa Pacific	Robert Morris (IL) & Southern Polytechnic State
74	2011			Pikeville	83–76 (OT)	Mountain State	Georgetown (KY) & Martin Methodist
75	2012			Concordia–Irvine	72–69	Oklahoma Baptist	Mountain State & Shorter
76	2013			Georgetown (KY)	88–62	Southwestern Assemblies of God	Lindsey Wilson & LSU Shreveport
77	2014			Vanguard	70–65	Emmanuel (GA)	MidAmerica Nazarene & St. Gregory's
78	2015			Dalton State	71–53	Westmont	Hope International & Talladega
79	2016			Mid-America Christian	100–99 OT	Georgetown (KY)	Campbellsville & MidAmerica Nazarene
80	2017			Texas Wesleyan	86–76	Life	LSU Alexandria & William Penn
81	2018			Graceland	83–80 OT	LSU Alexandria	LSU Shreveport & William Penn
82	2019			Georgetown (KY)	68–48	Carroll (MT)	William Carey & Lewis–Clark State
–	2020	(No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
83	2021	Kansas City, MO	Municipal Auditorium		Shawnee State	74–68	Lewis–Clark State		SAGU & Saint Francis (IN)
84	2022				Loyola New Orleans	71–56	Talladega		Thomas More & Arizona Christian
85	2023				College of Idaho	73–71	Indiana Tech		Ottawa (AZ) & Georgetown (KY)
86	2024				Freed–Hardeman	71–67	Langston		Graceland & College of Idaho
87	2025				College of Idaho (2)	93–65	Oklahoma Wesleyan		Arizona Christian & Freed–Hardeman

Notes

Champions

• Division II titles are not included in this list. Schools in italics are no longer in the NAIA.

Active programs

Team	Titles	Years
Oklahoma City	6	1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008
Life	3	1997, 1999, 2000
Georgetown (KY)	3	1998, 2013, 2019
Benedictine	2	1954, 1967
Loyola New Orleans	2	1945, 2022
College of Idaho	2	2023, 2025
Texas Wesleyan	2	2006, 2017
Freed–Hardeman	1	2024
Shawnee State	1	2021
Graceland	1	2018
Mid-America Christian	1	2016
Dalton State	1	2015
Pikeville	1	2011
Rocky Mountain	1	2009
John Brown	1	2005
USAO	1	2002
Faulkner	1	2001
Southwestern (KS)	1	1939

Former programs

Team	Titles	Years
Hamline	3	1942, 1949, 1951
Tennessee State	3	1957, 1958, 1959
Kentucky State	3	1970, 1971, 1972
Grand Canyon	3	1975, 1978, 1988
Concordia Irvine	2	2003, 2012
Oklahoma Baptist	2	1966, 2010
Birmingham–Southern	2	1990, 1995
Fort Hays State	2	1984, 1985
Central State (OH)	2	1965, 1968
Missouri State	2	1952, 1953
Central Missouri	2	1937, 1938
Vanguard	1	2014
Mountain State	1	2004
Hawaii Pacific	1	1993
St. Mary's (TX)	1	1989
Washburn	1	1987
Lipscomb	1	1986
College of Charleston	1	1983
USC Upstate	1	1982
Southern Nazarene	1	1981
Cameron	1	1980
Drury	1	1979
Texas Southern	1	1977
Coppin State	1	1976
West Georgia	1	1974
Guilford	1	1973
Eastern New Mexico	1	1969
Rockhurst	1	1964
UT Rio Grande Valley	1	1963
Prairie View A&M	1	1962
Grambling State	1	1961
Texas State	1	1960
McNeese	1	1956
East Texas A&M	1	1955
Indiana State	1	1950
Louisville	1	1948
Marshall	1	1947
Southern Illinois	1	1946
Southeast Missouri State	1	1943
San Diego State	1	1941
Tarkio	1	1940

See also

• Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award
• NAIA Division II men's basketball championship (1992–2020)
• NAIA women's basketball championship
• NAIA Division II women's basketball championship (1992–2020)
• NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
• NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

External links

• Official website