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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to their student athletes. $1.3 billion in athletic scholarship financial aid is awarded to student athletes annually. For the 2023-24 season, it had 241 member institutions, of which two are in British Columbia, one in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the rest in the continental United States, with over 83,000 student-athletes participating. The NAIA, whose headquarters is in Kansas City, Missouri, sponsors 28 national championships. CBS Sports Network, formerly called CSTV, serves as the national media outlet for the NAIA. In 2014, ESPNU began carrying the NAIA Football National Championship.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men's basketball national championship has been held annually since 1937. The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities. Through the 2019–20 season, the NAIA Tournament featured 32 teams, and the entire tournament was contested at one location in one week, rather than multiple locations over a series of weekends. Beginning with the 2021 edition, the tournament expanded to 48 teams, starting with play at 16 regional sites, with only the winners at these sites playing at the final venue. The 2022 tournament expanded again to 64 teams. From 1992 to 2020, the NAIA sponsored a Division II championship. The Division I tournament is played in Kansas City, Missouri, while in 2020, the Division II tournament was to be held for the last time at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; however, the tournaments were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NAIA returned to a one-division setup in 2021. The NAIA games can be watched online through the official NAIA provider StretchInternet.
The 2007 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held from March 14 to 20 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the 70th annual NAIA basketball tournament and features 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This tournament had the most total points scored for both teams in one game in the history of the NAIA tournament. Totaling 243pts when Concordia (CA) got 124pts and beat Robert Morris (IL) who has 119pts. That game went into 4 overtimes. Concordia would go on to be the 2007 runner-up to Oklahoma City University. Oklahoma City University would beat Concordia 79 to 71.
The 2005 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held from March 16 to 22 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The sixty-eighth annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2005 National Champions were the unranked John Brown University who defeated the 9th ranked Azusa Pacific University by a score of 65 to 55. The other NAIA National semifinalists were Carroll College (MT) and Robert Morris College (IL).
The 64th NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at the Tulsa Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the second tournament held in the Tulsa Convention Center and the last tournament to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 64th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. 2001 would bring four new teams to the NAIA national semifinals. The first tournament since 1969 tournament to do so.. It surpasses the 15 year gap between a fresh set of semi-finalist that was between 1947-1969. It would be the only time this would happen outside of Kansas City.
The 2010 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 73rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. In 2010, both Buffalo Funds and the City of Kansas City extended contracts with the NAIA to remain title sponsors and will keep the tournament in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium until 2013. This was the second year that the Heart of America Conference was the tournament host.
The 2011 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 74th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1983 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 46th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1987 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 50th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1988 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 51st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The last time 3rd and 4th decided on the court.
The 1989 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 52nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1990 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 53rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1992 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 55th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1993 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 56th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. 1993 marked the last time NAIA Division 1 Tournament was conducted at Kemper Arena.
The 1994 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 57th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1995 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 58th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1996 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 59th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1997 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 60th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1998 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the last time for now NAIA Tournament at Mabee Center. The 61st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
The 1999 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the only time for now NAIA Tournament. The 62nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.
References
- ↑ NAIA History Archived 2011-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ NAIA Championship History archived via WebCite