Madonna, Cornerstone & Lourdes Set for NAIA MBB Tournament
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [First/Second Round Schedule | Bracket Reveal | Official Bracket] The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the 64-team field and pairings for the 2024 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. The tournament will begin with the 2024 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, on March 15 at host sites throughout the country.
The 16 winners at each of these sites will advance to the 2024 NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., at the 86th annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, March 21-26. For more information on the national championship, click here.
The WHAC sends three qualifiers to the tournament for the second year. Regular season champion Madonna and tournament champion Cornerstone earned the conference's two autobids while Lourdes earned an at-large bid.
The field consists of 36 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular season champions, regular season runners-up, tournament champions, or tournament runners-up, depending on the league. The number teams in each league determines the number of automatic bids in each conference. Leagues with 10 or more schools receive two automatic berths, while conferences with less than 10 institutions receive one.
At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Men's Basketball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, the past president of the NAIA-Men's Basketball Coaches Association and four at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
Madonna (25-6) earned the first of the WHAC's two autobids by winning the regular season championship. They are a No. 5 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will take on No. 12 Dordt (Iowa) in their first round matchup on Friday, March 15. Tipoff is TBA
Cornerstone (24-7) qualified by way of defeating Madonna in the WHAC finals to win the conference tournament. The Golden Eagles earned a No. 8 seed and will also play in the Liston Quadrant. Their opening round game is against No.9 Carroll (Mont.) and will take place on the campus of College of Idaho in Caldwell. Tipoff is set for 5 pm MT on Friday, March 15.
The WHAC's final qualifier is Lourdes (22-6) who earned an at-large bid into the tourney. The Gray Wolves earned a No. 14 seed, also in the Liston Quadrant. They will take on No. 3 Morningside (Iowa) in Sioux City on Friday, March 15. Tipoff is TBA