NAIA men's basketball championship

NAIA men's basketball championship
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 NAIA men's basketball tournament
FormerlyNational college basketball tournament (1937–1981)
SportCollege basketball
Founded1937
FounderJames Naismith
MottoPassion. Tradition. History.
Divisions1
2 (1992–2020)
No. of teams64 (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)		Freed–Hardeman
Most titlesD-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 websitenaia.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.[1][2]

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.[3]

History

[edit]

The Men's Basketball Championship is mostly played at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.[4] 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.[5]

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 Manhatten 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.)"[6] 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

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  • From 1937 to 1991, it was a single division
  • From 1992, it became the "Division I", returning to a single division in 2021.
NAIA men's basketball championships
Ed. Year Champion Score Runner-up Venue City
1
 1937 Central Missouri State 35–24 [n 1] Morningside Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
2
 1938 Central Missouri State 45–30 Roanoke
3
 1939 Southwestern (KS) 32–31 San Diego State
4
 1940 Tarkio 52–31 San Diego State
5
 1941 San Diego State 36–32 Murray State
6
 1942 Hamline 33–31 Southeastern Oklahoma State
7
 1943 Southeast Missouri State 34–32 Northwest Missouri State
–
 1944
(No Tournament held)
8
 1945 Loyola (LA) 49–36 Pepperdine Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
9
 1946 Southern Illinois 49–40 Indiana State
10
 1947 Marshall 73–59 Mankato State
11
 1948 Louisville 82–70 Indiana State
12
 1949 Hamline 57–46 Regis
13
 1950 Indiana State 61–47 East Central
14
 1951 Hamline 69–61 Millikin
15
 1952 Southwest Missouri State 73–64 Murray State
16
 1953 Southwest Missouri State 79–71 Hamline
17
 1954 St. Benedict's (KS) 62–56 Western Illinois
18
 1955 East Texas State 71–54 Southeastern Oklahoma State
19
 1956 McNeese State 60–55 Texas Southern
20
 1957 Tennessee A&I 92–73 Southeastern Oklahoma State
21
 1958 Tennessee A&I 85–73 Western Illinois
22
 1959 Tennessee A&I 97–87 Pacific Lutheran
23
 1960 Southwest Texas State 66–44 Westminster (PA)
24
 1961 Grambling 95–75 Georgetown (KY)
25
 1962 Prairie View A&M 62–53 Westminster (PA)
26
 1963 Pan American 73–62 Western Carolina
27
 1964 Rockhurst 66–56 Pan American
28
 1965 Central State (OH) 85–51 Oklahoma Baptist
29
 1966 Oklahoma Baptist 88–59 Georgia Southern
30
 1967 St. Benedict's (KS) 71–65 Oklahoma Baptist
31
 1968 Central State (OH) 51–48 Fairmont State (WV)
32
 1969 Eastern New Mexico 99–76 Maryland–Eastern Shore
33
 1970 Kentucky State 79–71 Central Washington
34
 1971 Kentucky State 102–82 Eastern Michigan
35
 1972 Kentucky State 71–62 Wisconsin–Eau Claire
36
 1973 Guilford 99–96 Maryland–Eastern Shore
37
 1974 West Georgia 97–79 Alcorn State
38
 1975 Grand Canyon 65–54 Midwestern State Kemper Arena
39
 1976 Coppin State 96–91 Henderson State
40
 1977 Texas Southern 71–44 Campbell
41
 1978 Grand Canyon 79–75 Kearney State
42
 1979 Drury 60–54 Henderson State
43
 1980 Cameron 84–77 Alabama State
44
 1981 Bethany Nazarene 86–85 OT Alabama-Huntsville
45
 1982 South Carolina–Spartanburg 51–38 Biola
46
 1983 College of Charleston 57–53 West Virginia Wesleyan
47
 1984 Fort Hays State 48–46 OT Wisconsin–Stevens Point
48
 1985 Fort Hays State 82–80 OT Wayland Baptist
49
 1986 David Lipscomb 67–54 Arkansas-Monticello
50
 1987 Washburn 79–77 West Virginia State
51
 1988 Grand Canyon 88–86 OT Auburn Montgomery
52
 1989 St. Mary's (TX) 61–58 East Central
53
 1990 Birmingham–Southern 88–80 Wisconsin–Eau Claire
54
 1991 Oklahoma City 77–74 Central Arkansas
55
 1992 Oklahoma City 82–73 OT Central Arkansas
56
 1993 Hawaii Pacific 88–83 Oklahoma Baptist
57
 1994 Oklahoma City 99–81 Life Mabee Center Tulsa, Oklahoma
58
 1995 Birmingham–Southern 92–76 Pfeiffer
59
 1996 Oklahoma City 86–80 Georgetown (KY)
60
 1997 Life 73–64 Oklahoma Baptist
61
 1998 Georgetown (KY) 83–69 Southern Nazarene
62
 1999 Life 63–60 Mobile Donald W. Reynolds Center
63
 2000 Life 61–59 Georgetown (KY) Tulsa Convention Center
64
 2001 Faulkner 63–59 USAO
65
 2002 USAO 96–79 Oklahoma Baptist Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
66
 2003 Concordia–Irvine 88–84 OT Mountain State
67
 2004 Mountain State 74–70 Concordia–Irvine
68
 2005 John Brown 65–55 Azusa Pacific
69
 2006 Texas Wesleyan 67–65 Oklahoma City
70
 2007 Oklahoma City 79–71 Concordia–Irvine
71
 2008 Oklahoma City 75–72 Mountain State
72
 2009 Rocky Mountain 77–61 Columbia (MO)
73
 2010 Oklahoma Baptist 84–83 Azusa Pacific
74
 2011 Pikeville 83–76 OT Mountain State
75
 2012 Concordia–Irvine 72–69 Oklahoma Baptist
76
 2013 Georgetown (KY) 88–62 Southwestern Assemblies of God
77
 2014[7] Vanguard 70–65 Emmanuel (GA)
78
 2015[8] Dalton State 71–53 Westmont
79
 2016 Mid-America Christian 100–99 OT[n 2] Georgetown (KY)
80
 2017 Texas Wesleyan 86–76 Life
81
 2018 Graceland 83–80 OT LSU–Alexandria
82
 2019 Georgetown (KY) 68–48 Carroll (MT)
–
 2020
(No tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
83
 2021 [n 3] Shawnee State 74–68 Lewis–Clark State Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri
84
 2022 Loyola (LA) 71–56 Talladega
85
 2023 College of Idaho 73–71 Indiana Tech
86
 2024[9] Freed–Hardeman 71–67 Langston
Notes
  1. ^ Lowest scoring game.
  2. ^ Highest scoring game.
  3. ^ New tournament format.

Champions

[edit]
  • Division II titles are not included in this list. Schools in italics are no longer in the NAIA.
Team Championships Finals record Winning years
Oklahoma City 6 6–1 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008
Hamline 3 3–1 1942, 1949, 1951
Tennessee A&I 3 3–0 1957, 1958, 1959
Kentucky State 3 3–0 1970, 1971, 1972
Grand Canyon 3 3–0 1975, 1978, 1988
Life 3 3–2 1997, 1999, 2000
Georgetown (KY) 3 3–4 1998, 2013, 2019
Central Missouri State 2 2–0 1937, 1938
Loyola (LA) 2 2–0 1945, 2022
Southwest Missouri State 2 2–0 1952, 1953
St. Benedict's (KS)
(Benedictine)		 2 2–0 1954, 1967
Central State (OH) 2 2–0 1965, 1968
Oklahoma Baptist 2 2–6 1966, 2010
Fort Hays State 2 2–0 1984, 1985
Birmingham–Southern 2 2–0 1990, 1995
Concordia–Irvine 2 2–2 2003, 2012
Texas Wesleyan 2 2–0 2006, 2017
Southwestern (KS) 1 1–0 1939
Tarkio 1 1–0 1940
San Diego State 1 1–2 1941
Southeast Missouri State 1 1–0 1943
Southern Illinois 1 1–0 1946
Marshall 1 1–0 1947
Louisville 1 1–0 1948
Indiana State 1 1–2 1950
East Texas State 1 1–0 1955
McNeese State 1 1–0 1956
Southwest Texas State 1 1–0 1960
Grambling 1 1–0 1961
Prairie View A&M 1 1–0 1962
Pan American[a] 1 1–1 1963
Rockhurst 1 1–0 1964
Eastern New Mexico 1 1–0 1969
Guilford 1 1–0 1973
West Georgia 1 1–0 1974
Coppin State 1 1–0 1976
Texas Southern 1 1–1 1977
Drury 1 1–0 1979
Cameron 1 1–0 1980
Bethany Nazarene 1 1–1 1981
USC Spartanburg 1 1–0 1982
College of Charleston 1 1–0 1983
David Lipscomb 1 1–0 1986
Washburn 1 1–0 1987
St. Mary's (TX) 1 1–0 1989
Hawaii Pacific 1 1–0 1993
Faulkner 1 1–0 2001
USAO 1 1–1 2002
Mountain State 1 1–3 2004
John Brown 1 1–0 2005
Rocky Mountain 1 1–0 2009
Pikeville 1 1–0 2011
Vanguard 1 1–0 2014
Dalton State 1 1–0 2015
Mid-America Christian 1 1–0 2016
Graceland 1 1–0 2018
Shawnee State 1 1–0 2021
College of Idaho 1 1–0 2023
Freed–Hardeman 1 1–0 2024
  • Schools highlighted in pink are closed or no longer sponsor athletics.
  • Schools highlight in yellow have reclassified athletics from the NAIA.
  1. ^ Pan American, later known as UT Pan American, ceased to exist in 2015, when the merger of UTPA with UT Brownsville took full effect. All history and records of the UTPA athletic program were transferred to the successor institution, UT Rio Grande Valley.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2021 Men's Basketball National Championship Opening Round Field Announced". NAIA.org. March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "2022 Men's Basketball National Championship Opening Round Field Announced". NAIA.org. March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament Viewing Sources". SBit. February 26, 2023.
  4. ^ NAIA Men's Division I Championship History
  5. ^ "New Basketball Postseason Format Approved" (Press release). NAIA. July 2, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  6. ^ Davis, Seth (2014). Wooden: A Coach's Life (First ed.). St. Martin's Griffin. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-25006085-3.
  7. ^ "Vanguard Wins First National Championship, 70–65". NAIA. March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  8. ^ "Dalton State Wins First-Ever National Championship". NAIA. March 24, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship to Remain in Kansas City". NAIA. March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
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