KANSAS CITY, Mo. – [Bracket | Schedule | Tickets] The 88th annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men’s Basketball National Championship has been trimmed from 64 teams down to just 16 still chasing the title of NAIA Men’s Basketball National Champion and the coveted Red Banner.

Looking to attend one or all the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship games at Municipal? Be sure to purchase tickets online before arriving. Can’t make it to Kansas City? All 15 games played in the heartland will be broadcast worldwide for free. Catch the action live on the Urban Edge Network and rewatch every game on demand through the NAIA Network.
Each of the 16 teams arriving in the City of Fountains secured back-to-back victories on March 13 and 14 to reach historic Municipal Auditorium. However, the grind is far from over. To claim the 2026 Red Banner, a team must now win four games in six days. While there is one rest day ahead of the semifinals, this late in the season, every possession matters — it’s win or go home.

The longest continuously running collegiate men’s basketball tournament in the country returns to Municipal Auditorium for the 61st time overall and the 24th consecutive year. The historic downtown Kansas City venue will soon add another name to its long list of NAIA men’s basketball national champions.

The 16 teams that have reached Kansas City represent 10 different conferences. The GSAC and the Mid-South Conference lead the way with three teams each. The Frontier Conference and the Crossroads League will each send two teams to Municipal. The Sun Conference, Sooner Athletic Conference, Red River Athletic Conference, Great Plains Athletic Conference, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Southern States Athletic Conference each have one remaining team still chasing the Red Banner.
Let’s take a look at the 16 teams that have arrived and settled into KCMO.

The Cramer Quadrant opens the schedule, and the first game of the day features one of the tournament’s Cinderella stories. After a second-round upset, eighth-seeded Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) will look to keep its momentum rolling. However, the Redhawks are not the Cinderella in this matchup. That distinction belongs to 12th-seeded Faulkner (Ala.).
Faulkner escaped the first round with a win over a quality Pikeville (Ky.) squad before knocking off host and fourth-seeded Columbia (Mo.) in the second round. Faulkner has reached the national championship game once before, finishing as runner-up in 2001.

In the second game of the day on March 19, second-seeded Indiana Wesleyan faces third-seeded Hope International (Calif.). In the second round, Hope International survived a battle between the coasts that came down to the final minute before the Royals secured a 79-76 win over Keiser (Fla.). A late steal followed by two clutch free throws sealed the victory.
Hope International is still searching for its first Red Banner, while Indiana Wesleyan has claimed three national titles. The Wildcats appear to be peaking at the right time. Playing at home in Marion, Ind., IWU cruised through the first two rounds with wins of 71-60 and 89-70. Indiana Wesleyan last captured the Red Banner in 2018, finishing that season with a 31-7 record. Entering the Round of 16, the Wildcats sit at 28-5 overall.

The Naismith Quadrant played out exactly according to seed after the second round, with the top four seeds advancing. Top-seeded Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) opens play at 5 p.m. CT on March 19 against fourth-seeded Northwestern (Iowa). Both programs have been regulars at the final site and have captured at least one national championship. Freed-Hardeman most recently hoisted the Red Banner in 2024.

Following that contest, second-seeded Arizona Christian faces third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) at 7:30 p.m. CT to cap the first day of Round of 16 action. Both teams have made frequent appearances in Kansas City in recent seasons. Arizona Christian has enjoyed several strong campaigns but is still searching for its first national title. Georgetown, meanwhile, has captured three Red Banners across its 45 national tournament appearances; the most of any remaining team in the field. With both teams shooting nearly identical percentages from the field and beyond the arc, this matchup has the potential to be a high-octane finish to the evening.

Round of 16 action continues Friday, March 20, beginning with the Duer Quadrant. Top-seeded Grace (Ind.) meets fourth-seeded Cumberlands (Ky.) at noon CT. The Duer Quadrant is the only other bracket that held to seed, sending the top four teams to Kansas City.

Grace is no stranger to extended stays in the City of Fountains, making several deep runs into the championship. The Lancers are a young squad this season, but have played like veterans down the stretch, cruising through their first- and second-round games at home. Cumberlands followed a similar path, dominating its first and second round contests on its home floor. The Patriots have reached the Fab Four once in program history, but this season could provide another opportunity.

The final game in the Duer Quadrant tips at 2:30 p.m. CT between second-seeded LSU Shreveport (La.) and third-seeded Ave Maria (Fla.). The two teams experienced very different paths in the second round. LSU Shreveport earned a narrow four-point victory at home to secure its trip to Municipal, while Ave Maria survived a shootout against Friends (Kan.) in Wichita, Kan., winning 108-102. The Pilots and Gyrenes are nearly identical in points and turnovers per game, meaning ball security could be the deciding factor in advancing to the quarterfinals.
The Liston Quadrant closes the evening on March 20, beginning at 5 p.m. CT with a battle between two programs from the Sooner State. Top-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan, the 2025 national runner-up, takes on fourth-seeded Langston (Okla.). The two campuses are separated by just 125 miles, and both teams will need to control the basketball and limit second-chance opportunities to extend their stay in Kansas City. With only a 0.1 difference in turnovers per game and a 1.4 difference in rebound margin, this contest has all the makings of a highlight-reel matchup.

The final Round of 16 game features second-seeded Rocky Mountain (Mont.) against the tournament’s other Cinderella, 14th-seeded Bellevue (Neb.), at 7:30 p.m. CT. Both programs have reached the national championship game before, though it has been nearly two decades since either last did so.

Bellevue has yet to capture a Red Banner, finishing as national runner-up in both 2004 and 2008. Rocky Mountain, meanwhile, captured the national championship in 2009. Both teams produced strong performances in the first and second rounds. Bellevue opened the tournament with a statement road victory, defeating host and third-seeded Huntington (Ind.) 62-58 before defeating Graceland (Iowa) 95-88 the following night. The Bruins have proven they can grind out defensive battles or win in a high-scoring track meet.
Rocky Mountain brings a similar style, capable of both locking down defensively and scoring in bunches. If both teams limit turnovers and control the tempo, fans could be in for a defensive battle with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.