Buffalo to Host USCAA Basketball Small College National Championships

The United States Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that the 2025 and 2026 USCAA Basketball Small College National Championships will be held in Buffalo.

The championship events will be held March 8–15, 2025 and March 1–7, 2026 and will include about 800 players on 36 teams representing schools from multiple states. Both tournaments will be organized by the USCAA National Office and the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission. About 2,000 visitors are expected to spend an estimated $2.1 million in the Buffalo area as a result of the tournaments.

“This is a big win for us to draw a tournament of this magnitude in an off-peak season,” said Patrick Kaler, president and chief executive officer of Visit Buffalo Niagara. “The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission, with help from local partners, will make the USCAA Small College National Championships a memorable experience for student-athletes, coaches, and fans.”

Most of the tournament will take place at the 2,700-seat arena SUNY Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Athletic Center, built for the 1993 World University Games. Villa Maria College will also host at its campus and athletic center in Cheektowaga, a suburb on Buffalo’s southern border. The school has newly renovated gyms, a modern weight and exercise room and a training center.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission and two member campuses to host the Basketball Small College National Championships,” said BJ Bertges, USCAA chief operating officer. “The support of member institutions, the local sports commission and a destination with a rich basketball history should provide an outstanding destination for our participants and fans alike.”