The 2025 NAIA men’s and women’s tournament fields have been announced, and they feature a significant HBCU presence.
There will be 10 HBCUs in the NAIA tournament fields, with five teams represented in each bracket.
Here is a breakdown of every HBCU that will play for an NAIA national championship.
Women
Langston: Naismith Quadrant #4 seed
First-Round Matchup: Blue Mountain Christian (Miss.)
The historic season of the Langston Lions women’s basketball team will continue into the NAIA tournament, as the team was selected as the fourth seed in the Naismith Quadrant.
In their first season under head coach Chris Vincent, a former assistant on the men’s team, the Lions finished the regular season with a 26-2 overall record (school record for wins in a season). This includes a 22-2 record against the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC).
They then claimed their first SAC championship, beating Mid-America Christian 64-54 in the tournament final. In three conference tournament games, Langston won by an average margin of over 20 points per contest.
The Lions will match up with a Blue Mountain Christian team that became the lowest-seeded team (men or women) to win the Southern States Athletic Conference, beating Mobile (Ala.) 62-53 in the final.
Xavier University of Louisiana: Cramer Quadrant #6 seed
First-Round Matchup: Southeastern (Fla.)
For the second year in a row, the Gold Nuggets of Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) are headed to the NAIA tournament, this time as the sixth seed in the Cramer Quadrant.
For the third time in the past four seasons, XULA surpassed 20 wins in a season, finishing with a 27-3 overall record and a 22-2 record against the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC).
Their run in the RRAC conference tournament ended prematurely, as they lost 70-63 to LSU Alexandria in the semifinal round.
Xavier drew a Southeastern (Fla.) team that finished the regular season with a 23-5 overall record. They advanced to the championship game of the Sun Conference tournament before losing to Florida Memorial.
Philander Smith: Liston Quadrant #16 seed
First-Round Matchup: Indiana Wesleyan
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) champion Philander Smith squeaks into the NAIA National Tournament as the 16-seed in the Liston Quadrant.
In their first season as a member of the HBCUAC, Philander Smith posted a 15-10 overall record in the regular season, including a 9-8 conference record.
Advancing to the championship game, the Panthers defeated Wiley 49-38 to claim their first conference title in the HBCUAC.
They will face an Indiana Wesleyan team that went 26-2 in the regular season and claimed the Crossroads League championship with a 64-58 win over Marian in the tournament final.
Stillman: Liston Quadrant #11 seed
First-Round Matchup: Rio Grande (Ohio)
Another team in their first year in the HBCUAC, the Stillman Tigers will be the 11th seed in the Liston Quadrant.
Stillman won the conference’s regular season championship, finishing with a 14-4 overall record and a 17-1 conference record.
They fell short in the HBCUAC conference tournament, losing to the eventual champion Philander Smith in the semifinals.
🏀💃🏾🕺🏾Both @StillmanCollege Basketball teams are going dancing! Watch their reactions to the @NAIA Selection Shows and hear from Head Coaches Alico Dunk and John Teasley.
WBB ➡️ Ft. Wayne, IN
MBB ➡️ Alexandria, LA pic.twitter.com/JMsnqovLQu— Stillman Tigers Athletics (@GoStillman) March 7, 2025
The Tigers will play River States Conference tournament champion Rio Grande (Ohio) in the first round. Rio Grande enters the national tournament with a 26-5 overall record.
Florida Memorial: Liston Quadrant #7 seed
First-Round Matchup: IU Northwest (Ind.)
Rounding out the HBCU women’s basketball teams in the NAIA national tournament is the Florida Memorial Lions.
Florida Memorial’s regular season record was 23-4 (13-3 against the Sun Conference), including wins in 13 of its first 14 contests.
They claimed their first Sun Conference championship since 2011, beating Southeastern 89-63 in the title game. The Lions’ win ended Southeastern’s hopes for a three-peat as tournament champs.
Their tournament journey will begin with IU Northwest, which finished the regular season with a 23-7 record and lost in the semifinals of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
Men
Florida Memorial: Naismith Quadrant #9 seed
First-Round Matchup: Friends (Kan.)
For the second straight year, Florida Memorial will compete in the NAIA national tournament, this time as an at-large bid.
After finishing the regular season with a 23-7 record, Florida Memorial’s quest for back-to-back Sun Conference tournament championships was denied by eventual winner Ave Maria in the semifinals.
They will open against Friends (Kan.), who is coming off a loss in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) championship game against Saint Mary (Kan.).
Langston: Naismith Quadrant #4 seed
First-Round Matchup: Saint Mary (Kan.)
The reigning NAIA National Championship runner-up Langston Lions have unfinished business, looking to finish the job, entering as the four-seed in the Naismith Quadrant.
Langston recorded its third straight 20-win season, finishing with a 24-7 overall record and a 17-7 record against the SAC.
They won their third straight SAC tournament championship, knocking off Nelson University 65-62 in the finals.
In the first round, they draw the aforementioned Saint Mary, who beat Friends to win the KCAC championship.
Xavier University of Louisiana: Cramer Quadrant #14 seed
First-Round Matchup: Ave Maria (Fla.)
For the fifth time in the past six seasons, the XULA Gold Rush will play in the NAIA national tournament, entering as a 14-seed in the Cramer Quadrant.
The Gold Rush concluded the regular season with a 19-9 overall record, including an 18-6 record against RRAC competition.
They were unceremoniously ousted from the conference tournament, losing in their opener against Southwest (N.M.).
In the NAIA tournament, XULA will face an Ave Maria (Fla.) team that won the Sun Conference championship, including beating Florida Memorial in the semifinals.
Dillard: Duer Quadrant #15 seed
First-Round Matchup: William Woods (Mo.)
For the first time since 2018, the Dillard Bleu Devils will be in the national tournament as a 15-seed in the Duer Quadrant.
Dillard punched its ticket to the NAIA tournament after beating Philander Smith in the HBCUAC championship game on a go-ahead layup in the final seconds.
They will open against a William Woods team that enters the tournament on a 23-game win streak. This includes an 85-82 win over Central Baptist College that clinched them the American Midwest Conference title.
Stillman: Liston Quadrant #16 seed
First-Round Matchup: LSU Alexandria
Rounding out the list of HBCU teams selected for the NAIA basketball tournament are the Stillman Tigers.
Stillman squeezes into the NAIA tournament as an at-large bid after losing in the HBCUAC tournament semifinals against Philander Smith.
The Tigers ended the regular season with a 17-10 overall record and a 14-4 record against the HBCUAC.
Stillman will face the RRAC conference champion, LSU Alexandria, in the first round. The Tigers enter with a 28-2 overall record.
