The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 (with the exception of 1944). The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities. The NAIA Tournament features thirty-two teams, and the entire tournament is contested at one location in one week, rather than multiple locations over a series of weekends. Since 1992, the NAIA has sponsored a Division II championship. The Division I tournament is played in Kansas City, Missouri, while the Division II tournament is held at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri.
Division I
Men's Basketball Championship History; currently held Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. It has been held in Kansas City every year since the tournament began except from 1994-2001 when it was played in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The tournament MVP has been presented with the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player award since 1939. In 1948 the NAIA became the first national organization to open their intercollegiate postseason to black student-athletes, due primarily to the influence of Indiana State coach John Wooden. In 1947, Coach Wooden refused the invitation to the NAIA National Tournament because of the ban on African-American players. The following year, Coach Wooden brought the first African-American student athlete (Clarence Walker) to play at the national tournament. Walker, a vital role player helped the Sycamores finish as the NAIA National Finalist. In 1957, Tennessee State would become the first historically black college to win a national championship, and the first team to win three consecutive tournaments. As of 2017, Kentucky State is the only other school to do so (1970, 1971, 1972). In 1996 Oklahoma City University became the school with the most tournament championships with 5. OKCU holds the record for most national championship titles in NAIA Women's Basketball as well.
# â€" Lowest scoring game.
†â€" Highest scoring game.
* â€" Denotes each overtime.
Division II
NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship; currently held at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO near Branson, Missouri.
# â€" Lowest scoring game.
†â€" Highest scoring game.
* â€" Denotes each overtime.
See also
- NAIA Women's Basketball Championships
- Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award
- NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament
- NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament
- National Invitation Tournament
- Women's National Invitation Tournament
References
