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 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's Basketball national championship has been held annually since 1981. The NAIA Women's Tournament was established one year before the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament. It was created to crown a women's national title for smaller colleges and universities. From 1992 to 2020, the NAIA sponsored a women's division II championship tournament. The entire tournament is played in Sioux City, Iowa. Prior to the merger of D-I and D-II, a separate Division I tournament was held in Billings, Montana, while the Division II tournament was in Sioux City. Contracts for host cities for both divisions initially expired in 2017. Following renewals, the 2018 and 2019 tournaments were held in the same cities, but in 2020, the tournaments were called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, in the NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. They compete as members of the Big 12 Conference. The program has made six appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four, which is tied for 10th most all-time, along with the most for any team who has not won a national championship.
The Kennesaw State Owls fields 16 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. All of Kennesaw State's sports teams compete in the ASUN Conference through the 2023–24 school year. In July 2023, KSU will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA (C-USA) in July 2024. Of its 18 varsity sports, only women's lacrosse is not sponsored by C-USA. The school mascot is Scrappy the Owl.
The 2004 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the 67th annual NAIA DI basketball tournament and featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This was the third year the tournament was held in Kansas City. The 2004 NAIA national championship game featured the #1 ranked Cougars of Mountain State and the #6 ranked Eagles of Concordia University (CA). This match up was a repeat of the 2003 tournament. The Cougars defeated the Eagles 74–70. The other teams that rounded out the NAIA national semifinals were Georgetown College (KY) and University of Mobile, respectively.
The 2003 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held from March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 66th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2003 National Championship game would feature Concordia (CA) and Mountain State. That game would be the 6th championship game to go into overtime. The Eagles would defeat the Cougars by an overtime score of 88 to 84. The other teams making it to the NAIA national semifinals were Georgetown (KY), and McKendree.
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 San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball team is the college basketball program that represents San Diego State University, located in San Diego, California. The team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference (MW) and plays its home games at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs began play in 1921 and have been to fifteen NCAA Division I tournaments and six NIT tournaments since joining NCAA Division I in 1969, the best finish coming recently in the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The team previously reached three NCAA Division II tournaments and six NAIA tournaments, winning the latter in 1941. Since joining the Mountain West Conference, the Aztecs have won seven tournament championships and nine regular season titles. Former players who went on to achieve notable success in the NBA include Michael Cage and Kawhi Leonard. Other former players have gone on to achieve their most notable successes in other areas, such as Art Linkletter and Tony Gwynn.
The Chicago State Cougars men's basketball team represents Chicago State University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The team currently competes as an independent and is led by third-year coach Gerald Gillion, who was hired on July 19, 2021. The Cougars play their home games at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center. The Cougars currently do not play in an NCAA Division I conference after departing from the WAC in 2022. After the 2023–24 season, Chicago State will join the Northeast Conference.
The Sioux Falls Cougars are the athletic teams that represent the University of Sioux Falls, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) since the 2012–13 academic year. Prior to joining the NCAA, the Cougars previously competed in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2000–01 to 2010–11; and in the defunct South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) from 1977–78 to 1999–2000.
The Saint Francis Cougars are the athletic teams that represent the University of Saint Francis, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Crossroads League for most of its sports since the 1994–95 academic year ; while its football team competes in the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).
The 2015 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2015 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament is being played on campus sites for the first three rounds, with the Final Four and championship game being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tournament began on Tuesday, March 17 and ended on Thursday, April 2. On February 6, the NCAA announced the 2015 NIT will use a 30-second shot clock and a 4-foot (1.2 m) restricted-area arc as experimental rules for the 2015 tournament. On March 4, the NCAA announced teams that are marked as the first four teams left out of the 2015 NCAA tournament field will be the top-seeded teams in the 2015 NIT.
The 2016 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 NCAA Division I teams that were not selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA tournament. The annual tournament was played on campus sites for the first three rounds, with the Final Four and championship game being held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tournament began on Tuesday, March 15 and ended on Thursday, March 31. An experimental rule allowing players six personal fouls instead of five was approved for use in all national postseason tournaments except for the NCAA Tournament. The NIT Selection Show aired at 8:30 PM EDT on Sunday, March 13, 2016, on ESPNU. George Washington were the champions over Valparaiso 76–60. The Colonials victory was their first-ever NIT title.
The NAIA Division II women's basketball championship is the former tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its Division II members in the United States and Canada.
The 2016 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball national championship was held in March at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri. The 25th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured thirty-two teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game was won by the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats of Marion, Indiana over the Saint Francis Cougars of Fort Wayne, Indiana by a score of 69 to 66.
The 2017 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball national championship was held in March at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri. The 26th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured thirty-two teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game was won by the Union Bulldogs of Barbourville, KY over the Cornerstone Golden Eagles of Grand Rapids, MI by a score of 72 to 69.
The 2013 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 76th annual NAIA basketball tournament features 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The opening game started on March 13, and the National Championship Game was played on March 19.
The 2018 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball national championship was held from March 7–13 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD. The 27th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured thirty-two teams playing in a single-elimination format. In a rematch of the 2016 Championship game, the outcome was the same. The championship game was won by the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats of Marion, Indiana over the Saint Francis Cougars of Fort Wayne, Indiana by a score of 84 to 71.
The 2011 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its Division I members in the United States and Canada for the 2010–11 basketball season.
The 2004 NAIA Division II men's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of men's college basketball among its Division II members in the United States and Canada for the 2003–04 basketball season.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota