Bellevue to travel to Langston for National Tournament

NAIA Release
NAIA National Tournament Bracket

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --On Thursday evening, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the 64-team field for the 2024 NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament.

The tournament format features 16 four-team pods to be played at campus sites – announced last week – around the nation. The first-round games will be played on Friday, Mar. 15, with the second round taking place on Saturday, Mar. 16, at those campus sites.

The winners of those 16 pods advance to the NAIA National Tournament Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., where those games will be played over the span of a week at the Municipal Auditorium.

The Bellevue University men's basketball team earned their way into the tournament by winning the North Star Athletic Association Tournament this past Sunday. The Bruins are the No. 16 seed in the Duer Bracket and face off against top-seeded Langston University in the first round to be played at the C.F. Gales Field House on the Langston campus. Joining the Bruins and Lions in the Langston Pod are No. 8 seed Southwestern (Kan.) College and No. 9 seed Ave Maria University.

The winners of the two Friday games meet on Saturday with a trip to Kansas City on the line.

Bellevue (15-15) is making its 22nd National Tournament appearance – and third in four years – after winning both the NSAA Regular Season and Tournament Championships. BU is playing its best basketball of the season, having won nine of the past 11 after rebounding from a slow start.

Langston qualified by winning both the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships. The Lions enter the National Tournament with a 30-1 overall record after posting a 21-1 conference mark. The Lions are making their eighth NAIA National Tournament appearance after reaching the Sweet 16 last season.

Southwestern qualified as an at-large selection from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Builders posted a 24-5 overall record this season and went 18-4 in KCAC play, finishing third in the regular season and reaching the conference tournament semifinals. The Builders are making their 14th NAIA National Tournament Appearance; they reached the second round a season ago, losing at Langston.

Ave Maria also qualified as an at-large selection out of The Sun Conference. The Gyrenes enter the National Tournament with a 21-9 overall record, having finished second in the Sun Conference regular season with a 9-5 conference mark. AMU finished third in the regular season and reached the conference semifinals. The Gyrenes are making their second NAIA National Tournament appearance, having previously qualified in 2019.

The Bruins and Lions met earlier this season in Midland University's Thanksgiving Classic, with the Lions scratching out a 69-64 victory.

All games in the Langston Pod will be live streamed via the Sooner Athletic Conference Network, with live stats available via PrestoSports.