NJCAA Division III men's basketball championship

Last updated
2003 men and women trophies at Suffolk County Community College Njcca-basketball-trophies.jpg
2003 men and women trophies at Suffolk County Community College

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Division III Basketball Championships consists of eight teams playing over a three-day period (Thursday-Saturday) in March to determine a National Champion. The tournament field is made up of teams that win either region or district championships that are required to earn entry into the tournament.

Contents

Format

The Tournament is a standard eight-team tournament. Each team will play three games in the Tournament to determine first through eighth places.

One qualifier will emerge from each of the following districts

District 1Region III
District 2Regions IV & VII
District 3Regions II & V
District 4Region XIII
District 5Region XV
District 6Region XIX
District 7Regions X, XVII & XX
District 8Region XXI

Before teams begin to qualify for the tournament, a Blind Draw is done to determine the match-ups between the different districts in the Quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals
Game 1: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw
Game 2: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw
Game 3: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw
Game 4: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw

The Semi-Finals of the Tournament consist of the Winners of Game 1 and Game 2 of the Quarterfinals playing each other followed by the Winners of Game 3 and Game 4 of the Quarterfinals.

The Consolation Games consist of the Losers of Games 1 and 2 of the Quarters playing each other followed by the Losers of Games 3 and 4 of the Quarters playing each other.

Consolation Games & Semi-Finals
Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4
Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4

On the final day of the Tournament, teams play each other to find out which place they will finish.

Three teams ranging from 2nd place to 4th place are guaranteed to finish 2-1, with the National Title game loser finishing in 2nd.

Teams finishing from 5th place to 7th place will finish 1-2.

Only one team will finish 0-3 and that team will place in 8th.

The only team that finishes the tournament 3-0 will be the National Champion.

Championship Round
7th/8th Place Game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6
4th/6th Place Game: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
3rd/5th Place Game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8
National Championship Game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8

Tournament hosts

SUNY Delhi (1991–2010)

Sullivan County Community College (2011–2016)

Rochester Community and Technical College (2017, 2019–2020, 2027)

SUNY Sullivan (2018)

Rock Valley College (2022)

Herkimer College (2023–2026, 2028)

Past tournament results

The list of NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship winners, along with runners-up and final scores, follows.

YearWinnerRunner UpScore
2025 Mohawk Valley Community College Herkimer College 58-51
2024 North Lake College Herkimer College 74-61
2023 Brookdale Community College Sandhills Community College 90-82
2022 North Lake College Genesee Community College 83-80 OT
2020 Sandhills Community College Mohawk Valley Community College 93-89
2019 Herkimer College Rock Valley College 72-60
2018 Brookdale Community College Nassau Community College 70-57
2017 North Lake College Elgin Community College 66-56
2016 Rock Valley College Rochester Community and Technical College 88-75
2015 Richland College Rock Valley College 67-64
2014 Rock Valley College Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute 79-69
2013 Brookdale Community College Eastfield College 61-55
2012 Sandhills Community College Cedar Valley College 101-86
2011 Mountain View College Rochester Community and Technical College 72-64
2010 Joliet Junior College Rochester Community and Technical College 94-82
2009 Richland College Minneapolis Community and Technical College 58-57
2008 North Lake College Joliet Junior College 73-70
2007 Sullivan County Community College Northland Community and Technical College 74-68
2006 North Lake College Gloucester County College 78-65
2005 Hostos Community College Joliet Junior College 73-71
2004 Suffolk County Community College Eastfield College 83-81 OT
2003 Suffolk County Community College College of DuPage 61-56
2002 College of DuPage Sullivan County Community College 73-58
2001 Cedar Valley College Sullivan County Community College 78-55
2000 Roxbury Community College College of DuPage 103-79
1999 Richland College Vermilion Community College 80-76
1998 Minnesota State Community and Technical College Monroe College 94-85 OT
1997 Eastfield College Jefferson Community College 79-75
1996 Sullivan County Community College Gloucester County College 74-63
1995 Sullivan County Community College Corning Community College 93-80
1994 Gloucester County College Sullivan County Community College 71-69
1993 Onondaga Community College Minneapolis Community and Technical College 84-78
1992 Sullivan County Community College Eastfield College 101-76
1991 Herkimer County Community College Community College of Rhode Island 108-105

Championship leaders

TeamChampionshipsWinning year(s)
North Lake College 52006, 2008, 2017, 2022, 2024
Sullivan County Community College 41992, 1995, 1996, 2007
Brookdale Community College 32013, 2018, 2023
Richland College 31999, 2009, 2015
Sandhills Community College 22012, 2020
Herkimer County Community College 21991, 2019
Rock Valley College 22014, 2016
Suffolk County Community College 22003, 2004
Mohawk Valley Community College 12025
Mountain View College 12011
Joliet Junior College 12010
Hostos Community College 12005
College of DuPage 12002
Cedar Valley College 12001
Roxbury Community College 12000
Minnesota State Community and Technical College 11998
Eastfield College 11997
Gloucester County College 11994
Onondaga Community College 11993

See also