2017 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers
By Spencer Scheve, Athletics Communications and Media Intern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Bracket | Championship Schedule | Video Announcement) The National
Intercollegiate Athletics has officially announced the teams and pairings for the 2017 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 32-team event will get underway on March 8 with the Championship game on Tuesday, March 14.
This year’s field includes 22 automatic qualifiers, nine at-large selections and one host berth (College of the Ozarks (Mo.)). Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title, regular-season championship, finished runner-up at the conference tournament. The at-large bids were determined by the final 2017 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll announced Wednesday. The Top 25 can be found HERE.
The NAIA Network – the association’s official video streaming home – will video-stream all 30 games live leading up to the final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.
Qualifier Highlights
• College of the Ozarks (Mo.) makes its 21st all-time appearance, which leads all active NAIA schools. The Bobcats own a 28-19 overall record at the championship and has recorded one title.
• There are 17 teams from the 2016 event are in the field again this year.
• Three teams make their first championship appearance – Calumet (Ind.), Pacific Union (Calif.) and WVU Tech (W. Va.).
• Defending national champion Indiana Wesleyan makes its 10th all-time appearance. The Wildcats have won two national championships (2014, 2016).
• College of the Ozarks holds the longest active appearance streak in the championship, as 2017 will mark the Bobcats’ 18th-consecutive appearance, dating back to 2000. Bellevue (Neb.) is second with 15-straight appearances.
2017 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship Qualifiers
|
School |
Qualification |
Record^ |
Champs Record |
Appearances* |
Last Time |
Titles |
| Aquinas (Mich.) | Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-Up | 19-14 | 1-4 | 5 | 2009 | 0 |
| Bellevue (Neb.) | North Star Athletic Association Tournament Champion | 22-10 | 21-17 | 18 | 2016 | 0 |
| Bethel (Ind.) | Crossroads League Tournament Champion. | 29-4 | 30-10 | 14 | 2016 | 3 |
| Briar Cliff (Iowa) | Great Plains Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion | 26-7 | 5-10 | 11 | 2016 | 0 |
| Calumet (Ind.) | Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion (South) | 17-13 | 0-0 | 1 | N/A | 0 |
| College of Idaho | At-Large No. 6 | 23-9 | 13-10 | 12 | 2015 | 1 |
| College of the Ozarks (Mo.) | Host Berth | 20-9 | 28-19 | 21 | 2016 | 1 |
| Corban (Ore.) | Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Champion | 18-15 | 2-4 | 4 | N/A | 0 |
| Cornerstone (Mich.) | Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion | 30-3 | 33-11 | 15 | 2016 | 3 |
| Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | At-Large No. 4 | 23-9 | 7-8 | 9 | 2016 | 0 |
| Davenport (Mich.) | At-Large No. 1 | 24-8 | 13-7 | 9 | 2016 | 0 |
| Eastern Oregon | At-Large No. 2 | 23-8 | 5-6 | 7 | 2013 | 0 |
| Indiana Wesleyan | Crossroads League Tournament Runner-Up | 26-7 | 22-7 | 10 | 2016 | 2 |
| IU East (Ind.) | River States Conference Tournament Champion | 26-7 | 3-4 | 5 | 2016 | 0 |
| IU Southeast (Ind.) | River States Conference West Division Champion | 24-6 | 7-10 | 12 | 2014 | 0 |
| Midland (Neb.) | At-Large No. 7 | 21-9 | 6-4 | 5 | 2015 | 0 |
| Northwest Christian (Ore.) | Cascade Collegiate Conference Regular-Season Champion | 24-5 | 1-2 | 3 | 2016 | 0 |
| Northwestern (Iowa) | Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament Champion | 26-6 | 29-14 | 17 | 2013 | 2 |
| Oregon Tech | At-Large No. 5 | 24-9 | 33-11 | 15 | 2012 | 3 |
| Pacific Union (Calif.) | California Pacific Conference Tournament Champion | 18-6 | 0-0 | 1 | N/A | 0 |
| Reinhardt (Ga.) | Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-Up | 22-9 | 0-1 | 2 | 2014 | 0 |
| Robert Morris (Ill.) | Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion (North) | 26-6 | 7-4 | 5 | 2016 | 0 |
| Rochester (Mich.) | Association of Independent Institutions Tournament Runner-Up. | 29-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 2013 | 0 |
| Saint Francis (Ind.) | At-Large No. 3 | 22-10 | 19-7 | 9 | 2016 | 1 |
| Tabor (Kan.) | Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion | 23-9 | 7-10 | 11 | 2016 | 0 |
| Taylor (Ind.) | At-Large No. 9 | 20-11 | 2-7 | 8 | 2006 | 0 |
| Trinity International (Ill.) | Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-Up | 28-5 | 1-3 | 4 | 2007 | 0 |
| Union (Ky.) | Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular-Season Champion | 30-3 | 1-4 | 5 | 2016 | 0 |
| Warner (Fla.) | The Sun Conference Tournament Champion | 26-4 | 9-4 | 5 | 2016 | 0 |
| Washington Adventist (Md.) | Association of Intercollegiate Institutions Tournament Champion | 22-6 | 0-1 | 2 | 2016 | 0 |
| WVU Tech | At-Large No. 8 | 23-8 | 0-0 | 1 | N/A | 0 |
| York (Neb.) | Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Champion | 24-9 | 3-2 | 3 | 2016 | 0 |
