| 1940 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 32 |
| Finals Site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
| Champions | Tarkio (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Fab Four) |
| Runner-Up | San Diego State (2nd title game, 2nd Fab Four) |
| Semifinalists | Delta State Hamline |
| Chuck Taylor MVP | Mel Waits (Tarkio) |
The 1940 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 4th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. [1]
This year the National College Basketball Tournament (NCBT) changed its name to the National Association for Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB). [2]
The championship game featured Tarkio beating San Diego State, 52–42. San Diego State became the first team to lose back-to-back title games.
Many of the records set by the 1940 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:
| First Round | Second Round | Elite Eight | NAIA National Semifinals | NAIA National Championship | |||||||||||||||
| Kansas Wesleyan | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas State Teachers | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas Wesleyan | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hamline | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hamline | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (OR) | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern (KS) | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hamline | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern (KS) | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Columbia (IA) | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern (KS) | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Glenville State | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Glenville State | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wayne State (NE) | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hamline | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tarkio | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
| SE Oklahoma State | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern State (LA) | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||
| SE Oklahoma State | 39 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Wesleyan | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Wesleyan | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central Missouri State | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Wesleyan | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TOP TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tarkio | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tarkio (MO) | 54 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Alfred Holbrook | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tarkio | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
| West Texas State | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||
| West Texas State | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Northern State | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tarkio | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||
| East Texas State | 49 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ripon | 39 | ||||||||||||||||||
| East Texas State | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburg State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburg State | 47 | ||||||||||||||||||
| St. Joseph’s (IN) | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburg State | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Central State (OK) | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Appalachian State | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Appalachian State | 43 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bemidji State | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Delta State | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||
| NW Missouri State | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simpson | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||
| NW Missouri State | 43 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Peru State | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Peru State | 49 | NAIA Third Place Game | |||||||||||||||||
| Augustana (IL) | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||
| NW Missouri State | 30 | Hamline | 26 | ||||||||||||||||
| BOTTOM TIER | |||||||||||||||||||
| Delta State | 44 | Delta State | 45 | ||||||||||||||||
| Superior State | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Upper Iowa | 42 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Superior State | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Delta State | 57 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Delta State | 43 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dakota Wesleyan | 31 | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1937 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The first annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) basketball tournament featured eight teams playing in a single-elimination format. In 1938, it would expand to its current size of 32 teams.
The 1938 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The second annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1939 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 3rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This was also the year the NCAA basketball tournament was started.
The 1941 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 5th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1942 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 6th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1943 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 7th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game featured Southeast Missouri State defeating Northwest Missouri State 34–32.
The 1945 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 8th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 16 teams playing in a single-elimination format, instead of the normal 32. It is the only tournament to feature only 16 teams.
The 1946 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 9th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1947 NAIA National Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 10th annual men's basketball tournament of what is now the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1948 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 11th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1949 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 12th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1950 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 13th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1951 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 14th Annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1952 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 15th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. In 1952, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB) changes its name to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
The 1953 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 16th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 17th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1957 NAIA Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 20th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1958 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 21st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1960 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 23rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1962 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 25th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. It would be the last tournament without a formal leading scorer and rebounder awards presented. This was also the first tournament since seeding began to feature the top two teams in the Championship Game. The number 2 seeded Prairie View A&M (Texas) beat Westminster (Pa.) 62 to 53.