2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship: A Comprehensive Guide
The road to Indianapolis is set for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship. With the 64-team field announced on Monday, March 2, 2026, the single-elimination tournament promises four weeks of intense competition across the United States, culminating in a historic championship weekend at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
2026 DIII Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket
The bracket is now available for viewing and tracking the tournament’s progress. Click here for the interactive bracket.
2026 DIII Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule
Here’s a breakdown of the key dates and rounds for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship:
- Selection Show: March 2, 2026
- First Round: Friday, March 6 – Watch live
- Second Round: Saturday, March 7
- Sweet Sixteen: Friday, March 13
- Elite Eight: Saturday, March 14
- Quarterfinals & Semifinals: Thursday, March 19 – Saturday, March 21 (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, IN)
- National Championship: Sunday, April 5 (Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN)
Key Matchups & Notable Teams
The 2026 tournament features 43 automatic qualifiers and 21 at-large selections, determined by the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Some notable first-round matchups include:
- No. 1 Trinity (Conn.) vs. Keuka (Hartford, CT)
- No. 12 Illinois Wesleyan vs. Heidelberg (Bloomington, IL)
- No. 13 UW-La Crosse vs. Hope (La Crosse, WI)
- Wesleyan (Conn.) vs. Lehman (Middletown, CT)
- Mary Washington vs. Worcester State (Fredericksburg, VA)
Trinity (Conn.) earned the top overall seed and will host early-round action in Hartford. The bracket also presents logistical challenges, with teams like Whitworth (Washington) traveling to Texas and Mary Hardin-Baylor making the trip to the Midwest. The UAA power pod in Chicago, featuring host Chicago and Penn State-Behrend, is also expected to be highly competitive.
Recent Champions
Here’s a look back at the recent champions of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship:
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Trinity (CT) (30-3) | James Cosgrove | 64-60 | NYU | Fort Wayne, In. |
| 2024 | Trine (29-4) | Brooks Miller | 69-61 | Hampden-Sydney | Fort Wayne, In. |
| 2023 | Christopher Newport (30-3) | John Krikorian | 74-72 | Mount Union | Fort Wayne, In. |
| 2022 | Randolph-Macon (33-1) | Josh Merkel | 75-45 | Elmhurst | Fort Wayne, In. |
| 2021 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh (29-3) | Matt Lewis | 96-82 | Swarthmore | Fort Wayne, In. |
The championship game, alongside the Division II and NIT championships, will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, marking the first time all three championships have been hosted at the same location since 2020. More information can be found on NCAA.org.
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