March 2, 2026
First & Second Round Hosts Identified for 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball Championship
First & Second Round Begins Friday, March 13
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hosts have been identified for the 2026 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, which begins March 13, culminating with 16 final-site qualifiers from the field of 64 that will be announced on Thursday, March 5, at YouTube.com/PlayNAIA.
Each First and Second Round site will feature four teams, who will play single-elimination on Friday and Saturday, March 13-14. The winner of each four-team site will advance to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., March 19-24 at historic Municipal Auditorium.
All 48 games in the 2026 First & Second Round will air live on Urban Edge Network. For links to mobile and smart TV apps, visit NAIA.org/Watch.
| Host Institution | Location | |
|
Arizona Christian | Chandler, Ariz. |
|
Columbia (Mo.) | Columbia, Mo. |
|
Cumberlands (Ky.) | Williamsburg, Ky. |
|
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | Henderson, Tenn. |
|
Friends (Kan.) | Wichita, Kan. |
|
Georgetown (Ky.) | Georgetown, Ky. |
|
Grace (Ind.) | Winona Lake, Ind. |
|
Hope International (Calif.) | Fullerton, Calif. |
|
Huntington (Ind.) | Huntington, Ind. |
|
Indiana Wesleyan | Marion, Ind. |
|
Langston (Okla.) | Langston, Okla. |
|
LSU Shreveport (La.) | Shreveport, La. |
|
Nelson (Texas) | Waxahachie, Texas |
|
Northwestern (Iowa) | Orange City, Iowa |
|
Oklahoma Wesleyan | Bartlesville, Okla. |
|
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | Billings, Mont. |