NAIA Names 2021 Basketball Opening Round Hosts

Park City, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas and Omaha, Nebraska, have been announced as the first three hosts for the 2021 NAIA Basketball Tournament, which will have a new format from years past.

Each site will host men’s and women’s teams from 2021 through 2024 in the opening rounds. The new format will feature 16 opening round sites for both men and women with four teams at each site. Each opening round will feature two games with the winners advancing to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Final Site in Kansas City or the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Kansas Collegiate Athletics Conference will partner with both Park City, Kansas, and Visit Wichita to host both men’s and women’s events at Hartman Arena. Visit Wichita will also partner with the KCAC to host at the Garvey Center, on the campus of Friends University.

“The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is thrilled to partner with the Park City Convention and Tourism Commission, Visit Wichita and the NAIA,” said Scott Crawford, KCAC commissioner. “We look forward to providing a best-in-class event experience for the teams and student-athletes who will come to Park City and Wichita.”

In Omaha, the Omaha Sports Commission will host both genders at Sokol Arena, which is the home of Creighton University women’s basketball.

“The Omaha Sports Commission is very proud to have been selected as a first/second round host site for the NAIA men’s and women’s championships,” said Josh Todd, executive director of the Omaha Sports Commission. “The NAIA will bring high-quality basketball action to Creighton University’s Sokol Arena and offers another great sports opportunity for local fans. It will be exciting to see both men’s and women’s teams competing in Omaha in their quest for a national championship.”