GREENVILLE, S.C. — CIU men's basketball will travel to Point Lookout, Missouri, this week to compete in the 2026 NCCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament, hosted by College of the Ozarks. Tournament play begins Wednesday, Mar. 18.

The Rams enter the national tournament as the No. 4 overall seed and will open play in the quarterfinal against Ohio Christian University at 3:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The matchup carries added intrigue as it marks the first time CIU head coach Tony Stockman will face his former program since leaving Ohio Christian to take over the Rams in 2018.

The championship field features several of the top teams across multiple collegiate divisions. Among the contenders are NAIA powers Bethel (Ind.), Hannibal–LaGrange (Mo.), and CIU, along with Lancaster Bible (Pa.) from the NCAA Division III ranks. The tournament field also includes several institutions that compete primarily within the NCCAA.

CIU enters the tournament looking to build on last year's success when the Rams advanced all the way to the NCCAA Division I National Championship game. 

All games from the NCCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship will be streamed live on the NCCAA Network.

Fans can watch games at:
https://www.nccaanetwork.com

Complete tournament information, including the bracket and schedule, can be found at:
https://thenccaa.org/tournaments/?id=4895&path=mbball