Oklahoma City – For the second straight season, Nelson University has claimed the 2026 Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball regular season championship and will be the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament that is set to begin on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the Abe Lemons Arena in Oklahoma City. The tournament is being presented by Athletic Solutions.
 
The Lions earned a hard-fought victory over Langston in the regular season finale to grab the top seed, while Langston will enter tournament action as the No. 2 seed. Wayland Baptist joins the field as the No. 3 seed, with Oklahoma City claiming the No. 4 seed.
 
Nelson will open tournament play at noon as they will take on the No. 8 seed Science & Arts. The Lions wrapped up the regular season with an overall mark of 24-4 and a league record of 19-3 and are ranked sixth in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll. The Drovers join the field with an overall mark of 11-17 and a league record of 7-15. Nelson swept the regular season series between the squads this season.
 
In the second game of the day, the host Stars will take on the No. 5 seed Texas Wesleyan at 2:00 p.m. Oklahoma City finished the regular season with an overall record of 18-10 and a conference mark of 15-7. The Rams enter tournament play with an overall record of 19-8 and a league record of 15-7. The two teams also split their two regular-season contests this year.
 
In the opening game of the evening session at 5:30 p.m., Langston will face off against No. 7 seed John Brown. The Lions completed the regular season campaign with an overall record of 22-6 and a conference record of 17-5 and are currently ranked eighth in the latest coaches’ poll. The Golden Eagles join the field with an overall mark of 12-16 and a conference record of 9-13. The two teams split their regular-season meetings this season.
 
The final game of the evening at 7:30 p.m., Wayland Baptist will take on No. 6 seed Mid-America Christian. The Pioneers enter the post-season with an overall record of 22-6 and a league mark of 16-6. The Evangels join the field with an overall mark of 19-9 and a league record of 13-9. The two teams also split their two regular season meeting this season.
 
For more information about the tournament and the link to purchase tickets for the event, please go to the Tournament Homepage