Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
May 29, 2026

NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament Appearances

NAIA National Championship History
23
Appearances
26-23
Record (.531)
2
Runner-up Finishes
2
Third-Place Finishes
Opening Round History
Opening Round Titles 2026 Huntington Pod
Opening Round Appearances 2021 • 2022 • 2024 • 2026
Tournament Record Breakdown
Combined Divisions Opening Round Record 2-3 Combined Divisions Final Site Record 0-1
Division II Era First Round Record 12-7 Division II Era Total Record 24-19
Notes
* 2016 - Tournament was split into four brackets with teams seeded 1-8 in each of the four brackets.
* 2021 - Divisions combined and Opening Round format implemented (16 pods of 3 teams in 2021, 16 pods of 4 teams from 2022-on).
* 2022-on - Tournament was split into 4, 16-team Brackets (Cramer, Duer, Liston, Naismith); Featured 16, 4-team pods with the 16 winners advancing to Kansas City for the Final Site at Municipal Auditorium.
2026 - Sweet 16
#14 seed - Liston Bracket
#3 Huntington (Ind.) W, 62-58
#6 Graceland (Iowa) W, 95-88
#2 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) L, 73-78 (ot)
2024 - 1st Round
#16 seed - Duer Bracket
#1 Langston (Okla.) L, 79-40
2022 - 1st Round
#16 seed - Duer Bracket
#1 William Penn (Iowa) L, 83-72
2021 - 1st Round
#3 seed - Omaha Bracket
#2 Jamestown (N.D.) L, 86-69
2018 - 1st Round
#6 seed
#3 Northwestern (Iowa) L, 75-62
2017 - Final 4
#6 seed
#3 Briar Cliff (Iowa) W, 80-75
#7 York (Neb.) W, 78-76
#1 Bethel (Ind.) W, 77-75 (ot)
#1 Cornerstone (Mich.) L, 69-57
2016 - 1st Round
#7 seed
#2 Indiana Wesleyan L, 113-81
2015 - 1st Round
#7 seed
Grace (Ind.) L, 54-50
2014 - Sweet 16
#8 seed
Concordia (Ore.) W, 81-78
Davenport (Mich.) L, 67-65
2013 - Sweet 16
unseeded
Rochester (Mich.) W, 64-50
Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) L, 81-56
2012 - Sweet 16
#7 seed
Daemen (N.Y.) W, 58-48
Saint Francis (Ind.) L, 61-58
2011 - Sweet 16
#4 seed
Ashford (Iowa) W, 66-45
Saint Francis (Ind.) L, 76-74
2010 - Final 4
#4 seed
William Jessup (Calif.) W, 85-67
Cedarville (Ohio) W, 70-69
Indiana-Southeast W, 71-65
Walsh (Ohio) L, 67-66
2009 - Elite 8
unseeded
Mount Vernon Naz. (Ohio) W, 84-75
Oregon Tech W, 78-64
Bethel (Ind.) L, 82-77
2008 - National Runner-up
#1 seed
Saint Joseph (Vt.) W, 111-52
Aquinas (Mich.) W, 65-61
Bethel (Ind.) W, 73-69
Northwestern (Iowa) W, 70-67
Oregon Tech L, 63-56
2007 - Sweet 16
#1 seed
Fisher (Mass.) W, 95-84
Northwest (Wash.) L, 61-56
2006 - 1st Round
unseeded
Evangel (Mo.) L, 82-74
2005 - Sweet 16
#15 seed
Western Baptist (Ore.) W, 68-65
Northwestern (Iowa) L, 72-69
2004 - National Runner-up
#2 seed
Saint Scholastica (Minn.) W, 78-55
Siena Heights (Mich.) W, 78-75
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) W, 74-50
Sioux Falls (S.D.) W, 70-62
Oregon Tech L, 81-72
2003 - Elite 8
#4 seed
California State-Hayward W, 76-44
Cascade (Ore.) W, 78-68
Cornerstone (Mich.) L, 84-75
2001 - 1st Round
#15 seed
College of Idaho L, 62-58
1999 - 1st Round
unseeded
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) L, 97-73
1998 - 1st Round
unseeded
Mayville State (N.D.) L, 99-72