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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several Kansas men’s basketball programs will be part of the 2026 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament, with McPherson College among the teams earning a spot in the 64-team field announced Thursday.
McPherson (20-9, 16-6) received an at-large bid and will face fourth-seeded Columbia (Mo.) in the opening round on Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. in Columbia, Missouri. The game is part of the Cramer Quadrant.
The Bulldogs are making their first appearance in the national tournament since 2013 and the sixth in program history. A win would send McPherson to the second round Saturday, March 14 against the winner between No. 5 Pikeville (Ky.) and No. 12 Faulkner (Ala.), with a trip to the Round of 16 in Kansas City on the line.
Several other KCAC programs also earned bids into the tournament field.
Bethel (21-8, 16-6) will face Loyola (La.) in the Naismith Quadrant first round on March 13 in Henderson (Tenn.), while Friends will host IU Southeast (Ind.) in the Duer Quadrant.
Southwestern will also play in the opening round, in Waxahachie (Texas), matching up with Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) in the Cramer Quadrant.
Oklahoma Wesleyan earned the KCAC’s automatic berth after winning the conference regular-season title. The Eagles received the No. 1 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will open play against SUNO (La.) on March 13.
The NAIA national tournament begins with first-round games March 13 at 16 host sites around the country. Winners advance to the second round March 14, with the remaining 16 teams moving on to historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri, where the Round of 16 begins March 19.
The tournament field includes 35 automatic qualifiers and 29 at-large selections chosen by the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Selection Committee.
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) enters the tournament with the nation’s best record at 29-1 and a 26-game winning streak. The 64 teams in the field combined for a 1,433-485 record this season, a .747 winning percentage.