Kansas City, Mo. – The NAIA has revealed the lineup for the 2025 Men’s Basketball National Championship. Sixty-four teams will compete, with the tournament kicking off on March 14 at 16 various locations nationwide. The top 16 teams from these sites will move on to the Final Site in Kansas City, which takes place from March 20 to March 25. That’s when we’ll see the crowning of the 87th NAIA Men’s Basketball champion at the Municipal Auditorium.
This year’s tournament features 34 automatic qualifiers, awarded to conference champions and runners-up, with the number of slots depending on the size of the league. For instance, leagues with ten or more teams get two automatic bids, while smaller leagues earn one.
At-large teams were selected by the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Selection Committee, which evaluates teams based on performance throughout the season. The committee is made up of diverse representatives from different regions and conferences.
Notable Highlights:
- The Heart of America Conference tops the list with seven qualified teams, followed closely by the Crossroads League and the Southern State Athletic Conference, each with six teams.
- This tournament sees 35 teams returning from the previous year. Among them, five teams will make their debut in the national championship: UC Merced (Calif.), Carolina (N.C.), Middle Georgia State, William Woods (Mo.), and Johnson (Tenn.).
- Dickinson State (N.D.) makes a comeback after 21 years, while Mobile and Saint Mary (Kan.) return after 16 and 12-year breaks, respectively.
- Georgetown (Ky.) leads with a record 43 appearances in the tournament’s history, followed by Cumberlands (Ky.) with 32.
- Six teams have each won the championship three times: Georgetown (Ky.), Oregon Tech, Cornerstone (Mich.), Bethel (Ind.), Life (Ga.), and Indiana Wesleyan.
- Out of the 64 teams, there’s a strong showing in wildlife mascots, with lions being the most common, followed by tigers.
The competition promises to be fierce, and fans are eagerly anticipating the matches. Be ready for some thrilling basketball action starting March 14!
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