HU to Host NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship First and Second Rounds

Selection marks first time HU will host the national tournament

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The Forester men's basketball team learned on Thursday that Huntington University was selected as a host site for the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, with games to be played in Platt Arena.

HU will welcome 14th-seeded Lourdes (Ohio), 6th-seeded Northwestern (Iowa) and 11th-seeded Graceland (Iowa) to the Huntington Bracket on March 14-15. There will be two first round games on Friday with the winners playing on Saturday in round two action. The winner of the Huntington Bracket will earn a spot to the NAIA's final site in Kansas City, Missouri, slated for March 20-25.

"We are beyond excited to receive our first-ever bid to host the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds," said Athletic Director Lori Culler. "This is a historic moment for our program, our athletes and our community, and we can't wait to showcase our beautiful new facility and our Forester hospitality on a national stage."

For Coach Kory Alford and crew, this marks the fourth consecutive appearance on the big stage. The Foresters, a #3 seed, received an at-large bid and will face 14th-seeded Lourdes on Friday, March 14, at 6:00 p.m. These two programs last met in 2010-2011 with HU cruising past the Gray Wolves 72-38.

Huntington heads into the tourney with a record of 24-7 which includes a 12-6 league record and five wins over Top 25 opponents. This is the 12th time the Foresters have advanced to an NAIA postseason tournament.

Lourdes (21-8, 15-5) received one of 30 at-large bids. This will be their sixth trip to the big dance with their most recent appearance last winter.

Northwestern and Graceland will play in the second matchup on Friday night, with opening tip scheduled for 8:00 p.m. The winners of Friday's games will square off on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

All three games of the Huntington Bracket will be live-streamed free of charge through the Huntington University YouTube page using the "NAIA National Tournament 1st and 2nd Rounds | 2025" playlist.

Other Crossroads League teams to spot in the tourney include Grace (#2 seed), Bethel (#4 seed), Indiana Wesleyan (#5 seed), Spring Arbor (#9 seed) and Saint Francis (#10 seed).

The 64-team field includes 34 automatic qualifiers and 30 at-large selections. The tournament begins with the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds at 16 host sites throughout the country. The winner from each site advances to the final site in Kansas City, Missouri, for a 16-team single-elimination tournament that runs from March 20-25 at Municipal Auditorium.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 160 NAIA All-America honors and 567 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.