NABC Launches Division III Tournament Series in Las Vegas and San Antonio
Trine University Director of Athletics Matt Land speaks on a panel discussing basketball championships during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Final Four Tip-Off press conference Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at Christian Park. This will be the first time any city is hosting Division I, II and III championships as well as the NIT.
They don’t play for scholarships. They don’t play for contracts. Division III athletes compete purely for the love of the game — and starting in the 2026-2027 season, the National Association of Basketball Coaches wants to make sure that dedication gets the stage it deserves.
The NABC officially announced the launch of its Division III Tournament series, two marquee events that will bring together some of the best programs from across the country in settings that feel anything but small-time. Las Vegas and San Antonio: two cities that know how to host big moments in sport.
Two Events, Sixteen Programs, One Mission
The first tournament tips off December 21-22, 2026, in Las Vegas, presented by D3hoops.com, with a venue still to be confirmed. Eight programs will compete in two 4-team brackets: Chicago, Elmhurst, Emory, Keene State, Randolph-Macon, Redlands, Trine, and Wabash. Every team is guaranteed two games — a semifinal followed by either a championship or consolation matchup — meaning no program makes the trip just to play once and go home.
Then, on January 1-2, 2027, the series moves to San Antonio, this time on the campus of Trinity University. Clarkson, Hardin-Simmons, Johns Hopkins, Trinity (TX), Wheaton (IL), Williams, WPI, and WashU will take the floor in what promises to be a compelling cross-region showcase to open the new year.
The format is clean, the matchups are fresh, and the geography is intentional. These aren’t programs that typically share a court. That’s precisely the point.
Elevating the Grassroots Game
NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson framed the initiative as a natural extension of the organization’s broader purpose. « A core element of the NABC’s mission is to advance the game of basketball across all levels of the sport, » he said. « The NABC Division III Tournaments will provide players, coaches and fans alike with a first-class event experience while introducing a series of marquee cross-region matchups to the DIII men’s basketball landscape. »
The NABC is no stranger to Division III. The organization already runs a Division III All-Star Game held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I quarterfinals and semifinals, giving top DIII players a moment alongside the sport’s biggest annual event. This new tournament series takes that commitment further, offering entire programs — not just individual all-stars — a chance to compete on a national stage.
There’s something meaningful in that distinction. Division III basketball is often overlooked in the broader college basketball conversation, overshadowed by the scholarship programs and the March Madness machine. But the level of competition is real, the coaching is serious, and the players are genuinely invested. What has been missing is visibility.
With Las Vegas and San Antonio on the schedule, the NABC is betting that the right venue can change the narrative. For the players heading to these tournaments in late December and early January, it will be a chance to prove that grassroots basketball deserves its own spotlight — and that they’ve earned it.
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