Andrew Pace
The NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball tournaments determine the NCAA Division III national champion. The tournament has been held annually since 1975, except for 2020 and 2021, when it was cancelled due to COVID-19. The tournament features 64 men's teams and 64 women's teams, including conference champions and at-large teams. The host sites for the first two rounds are announced when the tournament bracket is released, and the host sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 are announced the following week. The tournament has been played at various locations, with the men's tournament having a more established tradition of locations than the women's tournament. The basic structure of the basketball postseason is relatively consistent across Division I, Division II, and Division III.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 64 teams (43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams) |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament |
| Rounds | Sweet 16 (sectional semifinals), Elite 8 (sectional finals), semifinals, and final |
| Host locations | Fort Wayne, Indiana; Salem, Virginia; Atlanta; Reading, Pennsylvania; Rock Island, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Springfield, Ohio; Buffalo, New York |
| Recent champions | Men: Trinity (CT); Women: New York University |
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What You'll Learn
- The tournament structure: 64 teams compete in single-elimination brackets
- Team selection: 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams
- Host sites: The first two rounds' locations are announced with the bracket
- Location history: Salem, Virginia hosted from 1996-2018; Fort Wayne, Indiana from 2021-2026
- Past winners: NYU, Randolph-Macon College, and Trinity (CT) are recent champions
The tournament structure: 64 teams compete in single-elimination brackets
The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament, with 64 teams competing in four brackets of 16 teams each. The brackets are organised according to geographic proximity. As the tournament progresses, the winning teams advance to the next round, while the losing teams are eliminated. This process continues until only one team remains in each quadrant. These four teams then advance to the national semifinals, which are traditionally held at neutral sites.
The 64 teams comprise 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams. The conference champions are the winners of all Division III conferences, while the at-large teams are determined using the NCAA Power Index (NPI), which takes into account various criteria. The NCAA tournament selection committees build the brackets and decide on the host schools for each weekend, taking into account factors such as regional rankings, geography, facilities, attendance history, and revenue potential.
The host sites for the first two rounds are announced along with the tournament bracket, while the host sites for the Sweet 16 (sectional semifinals) and Elite 8 (sectional finals) are announced the following week. The national semifinals and championship game locations are predetermined and may be held at the same location.
The Division III men's basketball tournament has traditionally been held in locations such as Reading, Pennsylvania; Rock Island, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Springfield, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; Salem, Virginia; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The women's tournament has had more varied locations, with no site hosting the tournament for more than three years.
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Team selection: 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams
The NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball tournaments are held annually to determine the NCAA Division III national champions. The tournaments feature 64 teams each, comprising 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams. The at-large bids are made on a national basis, which means that the number of teams from each region can vary. Teams are selected based on a minimum of 12.5 wins, and coaches' polls are not used as a selection criterion.
The 64 teams are divided into four quadrants of 16 teams each, primarily grouped according to geographic proximity. The teams then compete in a single-elimination format, where losing teams are eliminated, and winners advance to the next round. This process continues until only one team remains in each quadrant. These four teams then advance to the national semifinals, traditionally held at neutral sites. At the Division I level, this stage is known as the Final Four. The winners of the semifinal matches then compete for the national championship.
The host sites for the first two rounds are announced when the tournament bracket is released, while the host sites for the Sweet 16 (sectional semifinals) and Elite 8 (sectional finals) are announced on the Sunday before the tournament begins. The NCAA tournament selection committees build the brackets and decide on the hosting schools, taking into account factors such as regional rankings, geography, facilities, attendance history, revenue potential, and the school's willingness to host.
The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament has been traditionally held in a few select locations, including Salem, Virginia, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The women's tournament, on the other hand, has moved around more frequently. In recent years, the tournaments have featured 64 teams each, with the same breakdown of 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams.
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Host sites: The first two rounds' locations are announced with the bracket
The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament is an annual tournament that determines the NCAA Division III national champion. The tournament has been held almost every year since 1975, except in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. The tournament features 64 teams, including 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams. The teams are organised into brackets of 16 teams each, grouped according to geographic proximity.
The host sites for the first two rounds of the tournament are announced along with the bracket. The NCAA tournament selection committees decide which schools will host each weekend. While teams with higher regional rankings are more likely to be chosen as hosts, the committees consider several other factors, including geography, facilities, attendance history, revenue potential, and the school's willingness to host. The committees also try to keep travel costs down, especially during the opening weekend, so a lower-seeded team that is closer to the other teams in the pod may be chosen as the host.
The host sites for the first two rounds of the 2025 tournament were announced on Monday, March 3, along with the tournament bracket. The Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen host sites were announced on Sunday, March 9. The games were played in Brunswick (Maine), Providence (Rhode Island), New York City (New York), and Whitewater (Wisconsin).
The NCAA Division III men's basketball championship was held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia, from 1996 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2018. The event was hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of Salem. In 2013, the championship game was played at Philips Arena in Atlanta, now known as State Farm Arena, as part of the 75th NCAA Division I tournament celebration. Since 2019, the national semifinals have been held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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Location history: Salem, Virginia hosted from 1996-2018; Fort Wayne, Indiana from 2021-2026
The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament has had a few different locations over the years. From 1996 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018, the tournament was held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. The event was hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of Salem.
In 2013, as part of the celebration of the 75th NCAA Division I tournament, the championship game was played at Philips Arena in Atlanta, now known as State Farm Arena. The tournament was not played in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 issues. Since 2022, the tournament has been held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The tournament is a single-elimination format with 64 teams, with teams advancing from four sectionals to the semifinals and final.
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Past winners: NYU, Randolph-Macon College, and Trinity (CT) are recent champions
The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament has been held annually since 1975, excluding 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament determines the NCAA Division III national champion. NYU, Randolph-Macon College, and Trinity (CT) are recent champions, with NYU winning in 2024, Randolph-Macon College in 2022, and Trinity (CT) in 2025.
NYU's 2024 championship win was their second consecutive perfect season, with a win over Smith in the national championship game. Their 2025 championship game was against Trinity (CT), who beat them 64-60. NYU's Natalie Bruns was also named Player of the Year for the second time in a row.
Randolph-Macon College won the 2022 championship with a score of 90-68 against Elmhurst in the final game. They also won the self-organized mythical national championship game in 2020 against Trine University, with a score of 69-55.
Trinity (CT) won their first-ever national title in 2025, beating NYU 64-60. Jarrel Okorougu carried the team early on, and Henry Vetter secured the win by scoring all 14 of his points in the second half, including the game-winner.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 64 teams in the tournament — 43 conference champions and 21 at-large teams.
The teams are selected based on the NCAA Power Index (NPI), with the committee weighing each of the criteria in the formula.
The teams are announced on the first Sunday of March, with pairings released the following day. The host sites for the first two rounds are announced with the tournament bracket on the second Monday of March, and the host sites for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 are announced the following Sunday. The tournament has been held annually since 2022, except for 2020 and 2021 when it was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues.
The 64 teams are divided into four quadrants of 16 teams each, grouped according to geographic proximity. The brackets are single-elimination, meaning losing teams are out, and winners advance to the next round. Eventually, four teams advance to the national semifinals, traditionally held at neutral sites. At Division III level, the semifinals and finals are sometimes played at the same location.
