Template:Short description
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The NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament (officially styled as "Championship" instead of "Tournament") is a tournament to determine the NCAA Division III national champion. It has been held annually from 1975 to 2019 & since 2022, but not played in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 issues.
From 1996 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018, the NCAA Division III men's basketball championship was held at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia. The event had been hosted by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the City of Salem. From 2017 to 2020 & since 2022, the tournament has been a 64-team single-elimination tournament, with teams advancing from four sectionals to the semifinals and final in Fort Wayne.
For 2013, as part of the celebration of the 75th NCAA Division I tournament, the championship games in both the NCAA Division II and Division III tournaments were played at Philips Arena, now known as State Farm Arena, in Atlanta.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> From 2014 to 2018, the final game returned to Salem.<ref name="For 2014, the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament will return to Salem. ">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref> Currently, the Final Four is held in Fort Wayne, Indiana at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. For 2020 only, the national semifinals were to be played in Fort Wayne, but the championship game was to have returned to Atlanta, with the NCAA choosing to hold the championship games of both Divisions II and III as part of the festivities surrounding the men's Division I Final Four; however, the NCAA decided to abandon the tournament after the second round, 16 teams remaining.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The NCAA also canceled the 2021 tournament after a majority of D-III conferences chose not to play due to continued COVID-19 issues. Of teams and conferences that played, D3Hoops' top two ranked teams, No. 1 Randolph-Macon College and No. 2 Trine University, opted to play a self-organised mythical national championship game. Randolph-Macon won, 69-55.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
Trinity (CT) is the defending national champion, beating NYU 64–60 in the 2025 championship.
Qualification
Since 2024–25, a total of 64 bids have been available for each tournament:
- 43 automatic bids, awarded to the champions of all Division III conferences.
- 21 at-large bids.
Conference tournaments
Schools in italics are, as of the upcoming 2025–26 basketball season, no longer members of that specific conference.
Defunct conferences
Summary
| style=Template:CollegePrimaryStyle colspan=11|NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship
|
| Year
|
Finals Site
|
|
Championship Game
|
|
Semifinalists
|
Tournament MOP
(University)
|
| Winner
|
Score
|
Runner-up
|
| 1975
|
Reading, Pennsylvania
|
LeMoyne-Owen
|
57-54
|
Glassboro State
|
Augustana (IL)
Brockport
|
Bob Newman
(LeMoyne-Owen)
|
| 1976
|
Scranton
|
60-57
(OT)
|
Wittenberg
|
Augustana (IL)
Plattsburgh State
|
Jack Maher
(Scranton)
|
| 1977
|
Rock Island, Illinois
|
Wittenberg
|
79-66
|
Oneonta State
|
Scranton
Hamline
|
Rick White
(Wittenberg)
|
| 1978
|
North Park
|
69-57
|
Widener
|
Albion
Stony Brook
|
Michael Harper
(North Park)
|
| 1979
|
North Park (2)
|
66-62
|
SUNY Potsdam
|
Franklin & Marshall
Centre
|
Michael Harper
(North Park)
|
| 1980
|
North Park (3)
|
83-76
|
Upsala
|
Wittenberg
Longwood
|
Michael Thomas
(North Park)
|
| 1981
|
Potsdam State
|
67-65
(OT)
|
Augustana (IL)
|
Ursinus
Otterbein
|
Maxwell Artis
(Augustana (IL))
|
| 1982
|
Grand Rapids, Michigan
|
Wabash
|
83-62
|
Potsdam State
|
Brooklyn
Stanislaus State
|
Pete Metzelaars
(Wabash)
|
| 1983
|
Scranton (2)
|
64-63
|
Wittenberg
|
Roanoke
Wisconsin-Whitewater
|
Bill Bessoir
(Scranton)
|
| 1984
|
Wisconsin-Whitewater
|
103-86
|
Clark (MA)
|
DePauw
Upsala
|
Andre McKoy
(Wisconsin-Whitewater)
|
| 1985
|
North Park (4)
|
72-71
|
Potsdam State
|
Nebraska Wesleyan
Widener
|
Earnest Hubbard
(North Park)
|
| 1986
|
Potsdam State (2)
|
76-73
|
LeMoyne-Owen
|
Nebraska Wesleyan
New Jersey City
|
Roosevelt Bullock
(Potsdam State)
|
| 1987
|
North Park (5)
|
106-100
|
Clark (MA)
|
Wittenberg
Richard Stockton
|
Michael Starks
(North Park)
|
| 1988
|
Ohio Wesleyan
|
92-70
|
Scranton
|
Nebraska Wesleyan
Hartwick
|
Scott Tedder
(Ohio Wesleyan)
|
| 1989
|
Springfield, Ohio
|
Wisconsin-Whitewater (2)
|
94-86
|
Trenton State
|
Southern Maine
Centre
|
Greg Grant
(Trenton State)
|
| 1990
|
Rochester
|
43-42
|
DePauw
|
Washington College
Calvin
|
Chris Fite
(Rochester)
|
| 1991
|
Wisconsin-Platteville
|
81-74
|
Franklin & Marshall
|
Otterbein
Ramapo
|
Shawn Frison
(Wisconsin-Platteville)
|
| 1992
|
Calvin
|
62-49
|
Rochester
|
Wisconsin-Platteville
New Jersey City
|
Steve Honderd
(Calvin)
|
| 1993
|
Buffalo, New York
|
Ohio Northern
|
71-68
|
Augustana (IL)
|
Rowan
UMass-Dartmouth
|
Kirk Anderson
(Augustana (IL))
|
| 1994
|
Lebanon Valley
|
66-59
(OT)
|
NYU
|
Wittenberg
St. Thomas (MN)
|
Mike Rhoades/Adam Crawford
(Lebanon Valley/NYU)
|
| 1995
|
Wisconsin-Platteville (2)
|
69-55
|
Manchester (IN)
|
Rowan
Trinity (CT)
|
Ernie Peavy
(Wisconsin-Platteville)
|
| 1996
|
Salem, Virginia
|
Rowan
|
100-93
|
Hope
|
Illinois Wesleyan
Franklin & Marshall
|
Terrence Stewart
(Rowan)
|
| 1997
|
Illinois Wesleyan
|
89-86
|
Nebraska Wesleyan
|
Williams
Alvernia
|
Bryan Crabtree
(Illinois Wesleyan)
|
| 1998
|
Wisconsin-Platteville (3)
|
69-56
|
Hope
|
Williams
Wilkes
|
Ben Hoffmann
(Wisconsin-Platteville)
|
| 1999
|
Wisconsin-Platteville (4)
|
76-75
(2OT)
|
Hampden-Sydney
|
Connecticut College
William Paterson
|
Merrill Brunson
(Wisconsin-Platteville)
|
| 2000
|
Calvin (2)
|
79-74
|
Wisconsin-Eau Claire
|
Salem State
Franklin & Marshall
|
Sherm Carstensen
(Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
|
| 2001
|
Catholic
|
76-62
|
William Paterson
|
Illinois Wesleyan
Ohio Northern
|
Pat Maloney
(Catholic)
|
| 2002
|
Otterbein
|
102-83
|
Elizabethtown
|
Carthage
Rochester
|
Jeff Gibbs
(Otterbein)
|
| 2003
|
Williams
|
67-65
|
Gustavus Adolphus
|
Wooster
Hampden-Sydney
|
Benjamin Coffin
(Williams)
|
| 2004<ref>Kalsow comes through for Pointers - Men's College Basketball - ESPN</ref>
|
Wisconsin-Stevens Point
|
84-82
|
Williams
|
John Carroll
Amherst
|
Nick Bennett
(Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
|
| 2005
|
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2)
|
73-49
|
Rochester
|
Calvin
York (PA)
|
Jason Kalsow
(Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
|
| 2006
|
Virginia Wesleyan
|
59-56<ref>Balenga leads Virginia Wesleyan to title - Men's College Basketball - ESPN</ref>
|
Wittenberg
|
Illinois Wesleyan
Amherst
|
Ton Ton Balenga
(Virginia Wesleyan)
|
| 2007
|
Amherst
|
80-67<ref>Amherst notches first D-III basketball championship - Men's College Basketball - ESPN</ref>
|
Virginia Wesleyan
|
Washington-St. Louis
Wooster
|
Andrew Olson
(Amherst)
|
| 2008
|
Washington-St. Louis
|
90-68
|
Amherst
|
Hope
Ursinus
|
Troy Ruths
(Washington-St. Louis)
|
| 2009
|
Washington-St. Louis (2)
|
61-52<ref>Washington University repeats as Division-III champion - ESPN</ref>
|
Richard Stockton
|
Guilford
Franklin & Marshall
|
Sean Wallis
(Washington-St. Louis)
|
| 2010
|
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (3)
|
78-73<ref>Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers rally to beat Williams College for DIII title - ESPN</ref>
|
Williams
|
Guilford
Randolph-Macon
|
Matt Moses
(Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
|
| 2011
|
St. Thomas (MN)
|
78-54<ref>St. Thomas pounds Wooster for NCAA Division III men's title - ESPN</ref>
|
Wooster
|
Middlebury
Williams
|
Tyler Nicolai
(St. Thomas (MN))
|
| 2012
|
Wisconsin-Whitewater (3)
|
63-60<ref>Wisconsin-Whitewater wins D-III men's hoops crown - ESPN</ref>
|
Cabrini
|
Illinois Wesleyan
MIT
|
Chris Davis
(Wisconsin-Whitewater)
|
| 2013
|
Atlanta, GeorgiaTemplate:Efn
|
Amherst (2)
|
87-70<ref>'Willy stuff' helps Amherst to Division III national title</ref>
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor
|
St. Thomas (MN)
North Central (IL)
|
Allen Williamson
(Amherst)
|
| 2014
|
Salem, Virginia
|
Wisconsin-Whitewater (4)
|
citation
|
CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
|
Williams
|
Amherst
Illinois Wesleyan
|
K.J. Evans
(Wisconsin-Whitewater)
|
| 2015
|
Wisconsin-Stevens Point (4)
|
70-54
|
Augustana (IL)
|
Babson
Virginia Wesleyan
|
Austin Ryf
(Wisconsin-Stevens Point)
|
| 2016
|
St. Thomas (MN) (2)
|
82-76
|
Benedictine
|
Christopher Newport
Amherst
|
Taylor Montero
(St. Thomas (MN))
|
| 2017
|
Babson
|
79–78
|
Augustana (IL)
|
Whitman
Williams
|
Joey Flannery
(Babson)
|
| 2018
|
Nebraska Wesleyan
|
78-72
|
Wisconsin-Oshkosh
|
Ramapo
Springfield
|
Cooper Cook
(Nebraska Wesleyan)
|
| 2019
|
Fort Wayne, Indiana
|
Wisconsin-Oshkosh
|
96-82
|
Swarthmore
|
Christopher Newport
Wheaton (IL)
|
Jack Flynn
(Wisconsin-Oshkosh)
|
| 2020
|
Atlanta, GeorgiaTemplate:Efn
|
Abandoned after second round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
|
| 2021
|
Fort Wayne, Indiana
|
Not held because insufficient number of Division III schools played a season because of pandemic. A bowl-game style championship was organised by top two teams in D3Sports.com polls Randolph-Macon defeated Trine, 69-55, on campus in Ashland, VA.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|
CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
|
| 2022
|
Randolph-Macon
|
75-45
|
Elmhurst
|
|
Marietta
Wabash
|
Buzz Anthony
(Randolph-Macon)
|
| 2023
|
Christopher Newport
|
74-72
|
Mount Union
|
Wisconsin-Whitewater
Swarthmore
|
Trey Barber
(Christopher Newport)
|
| 2024
|
Trine
|
69-61
|
Hampden-Sydney
|
Guilford
Trinity (CT)
|
Cortez Garland
(Trine)
|
| 2025
|
Trinity (CT)
|
64-60
|
NYU
|
Wesleyan (CT)
Washington-St. Louis
|
Henry Vetter
(Trinity (CT))
|
| 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Source: <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
- Notes
Template:Notelist
Locations
Championships, by team
Template:Location map+
Active programs
| Team |
Titles |
Years
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
5 |
1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1987
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
4 |
2004, 2005, 2010, 2015
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1984, 1989, 2012, 2014
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1991, 1995, 1998, 1999
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2 |
2007, 2013
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1992, 2000
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1976, 1983
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1981, 1986
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2008, 2009
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1 |
2025
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2024
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2023
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2022
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2019
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2018
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2017
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2006
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2003
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2002
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
2001
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1997
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1996
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1994
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1993
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1990
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1988
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1982
|
| style=Template:NCAA color cell| Template:Nowrap
|
1977
|
Programs with at least 20 appearances in the Division III tournament
Template:See also
- List below only includes teams that are currently in Division III.
Notes
Template:Reflist
See also
References
Template:Reflist
External links
Template:NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament navbox
Template:NCAA men's college basketball tournament navbox
Template:National Collegiate Athletic Association