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.

Freed–Hardeman are the reigning national champions, winning their second NAIA national title in 2026.

History The Men's Basketball Championship is mostly played at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.NAIA Men's Division I Championship History 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

NAIA Basketball ChampionshipEditionYear LocationArenaChampionshipThird-place gameChampionScoreRunner-up Third placeScoreFourth place 1937 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium 35–24 Morningside Southwestern (KS) 46–38 Arkansas State Teachers 1938 45–30 Roanoke Murray State 33–24 Washburn 1939 Southwestern (KS) 32–31 Glenville State 42–26 Peru State 1940 Tarkio 52–31 Delta State 45–26 Hamline 1941 36–32 Murray State West Texas State 43–35 Santa Barbara State 1942 Hamline 33–31 Southeastern State (OK) Pittsburg State 58–47 Central Missouri State 1943 34–32 Northwest Missouri State North Texas State 59–55 OT Murray State 1944 1945 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium 49–36 Pepperdine Eastern Kentucky State 56–49 Southern Illinois Normal 1946 49–40 Indiana State Pepperdine 82–55 Loyola New Orleans 1947 Marshall 73–59 Mankato State Arizona State–Flagstaff 47–38 Emporia State 1948 82–70 Indiana State Hamline 59–58 1949 Hamline 57–46 Regis Beloit 67–59 Indiana State 1950 Indiana State 61–47 East Central State (OK) Central Methodist 80–67 Tampa 1951 Hamline 69–61 Millikin Baldwin–Wallace 82–76 Regis 1952 73–64 Southwest Texas State 78–68 Portland 1953 79–71 Hamline Indiana State 74–71 East Texas State 1954 62–56 Western Illinois State Southwest Missouri State 75–61 Arkansas Tech 1955 71–54 Southeastern Oklahoma State Western Illinois State 77–74 Arkansas Tech 1956 60–55 Texas Southern Pittsburg State 77–70 Wheaton (IL) 1957 Tennessee A&I 92–73 Southeastern State (OK) Pacific Lutheran 87–85 Eastern Illinois State 1958 Tennessee A&I 85–73 Western Illinois Texas Southern 121–109 Georgetown (KY) 1959 Tennessee A&I 97–87 87–80 1960 66–44 100–65 1961 95–75 101–84 1962 62–53 76–62 1963 73–62 107–86 1964 66–56 73–60 1965 85–51 78–71 1966 88–59 110–110 1967 71–65 106–92 1968 51–48 102–68 1969 99–76 96–82 1970 79–71 77–72 OT 1971 102–82 88–87 OT 1972 71–62 94–91 1973 99–96 96–93 1974 97–79 95–79 1975 Kemper Arena 65–54 76–74 1976 96–91 Marymount (KS) 78–75 1977 71–44 96–73 1978 79–75 87–73 1979 60–54 101–88 1980 84–77 Huron 59–54 1981 86–85 OT 90–60 1982 51–38 98–94 1983 57–53 85–76 1984 48–46 OT 86–82 OT 1985 82–80 OT Marycrest 108–94 1986 67–54 75–74 1987 79–77 76–69 1988 88–86 OT 89–61 1989 61–58 & 1990 88–80 & 1991 77–74 & 1992 82–73 OT & 1993 88–83 & 1994 Tulsa, OK Mabee Center 99–81 & 1995 92–76 & 1996 86–80 & 1997 73–64 & 1998 83–69 & 1999 Donald W. Reynolds Center 63–60 & 2000 Tulsa Convention Center 61–59 & 2001 63–59 Christian Heritage College & 2002 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium 96–79 &Barat 2003 88–84 OT & 2004 74–70 & 2005 65–55 & 2006 67–65 & 2007 79–71 & 2008 75–72 & 2009 77–61 & 2010 84–83 &Southern Polytechnic State 2011 83–76 OT &Martin Methodist 2012 72–69 & 2013 88–62 & 2014 70–65 &St. Gregory's 2015 71–53 & 2016 100–99 OT & 2017 86–76 LSU Alexandria &William Penn 2018 83–80 OT LSU Alexandria LSU Shreveport &William Penn 2019 68–48 William Carey &Lewis–Clark State 2020 2021 Kansas City, MO Municipal Auditorium Shawnee State 74–68 Lewis–Clark State SAGU &Saint Francis (IN) 2022 71–56 Talladega Thomas More & Arizona Christian 2023 College of Idaho 73–71 Ottawa (AZ) & 2024 Freed–Hardeman 71–67 Langston Grace &College of Idaho 2025 College of Idaho (2) 93–65 Arizona Christian &Freed–Hardeman 2026 Freed–Hardeman (2) 76–71 Langston Ave Maria &Benedictine Mesa Notes

Champions Division II titles are not included in this list.

Active NAIA programs Team Titles Years 6 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2008 3 1997, 1999, 2000 3 1998, 2013, 2019 2 1954, 1967 2 2024, 2026 2 1945, 2022 2 2023, 2025 2 2006, 2017 1 2021 1 2018 1 2016 1 2015 1 2011 1 2009 1 2005 1 2002 1 2001 1 1939

Former NAIA programs Team Titles Years 3 1942, 1949, 1951 3 1957, 1958, 1959 3 1970, 1971, 1972 3 1975, 1978, 1988 2 2003, 2012 2 1966, 2010 2 1990, 1995 2 1984, 1985 2 1965, 1968 2 1952, 1953 2 1937, 1938 1 2014 1 2004 1 1993 1 1989 1 1987 1 1986 1 1983 1 1982 1 1981 1 1980 1 1979 1 1977 1 1976 1 1974 1 1973 1 1969 1 1964 1 1963 1 1962 1 1961 1 1960 1 1956 1 1955 1 1950 1 1948 1 1947 1 1946 1 1943 1 1941 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

References

External links