Oklahoma City – The Sooner Athletic Conference joined five other conferences in placing five teams in the upcoming NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament that is slated to begin on March 13, 2026, at 16 host sites from around the country. The 64-team tournament field was announced by the national office on Thursday evening.
 
Langston and Nelson were announced earlier this week as host sites for the first and second rounds of the tournament. Oklahoma City, Wayland Baptist, and Texas Wesleyan also join the field in representing the SAC.
 
Nelson is the top seed in the Cramer Bracket and will open action in Waxahachie, Texas, against No. 16 seed Southern New Orleans. Also playing at Nelson will be No. 8 seed Morningside and No. 9 seed Southwestern.
 
Langston is the No. 4 seed in the Liston Bracket and will host No. 13 seed Bethel, Tenn. In an opening round match-up. Joining those two clubs in Langston are No. 5 seed LSU Alexandria and No. 12 seed Eastern Oregon.
 
SAC Tournament champion Oklahoma City will travel to Bartlesville, Okla., as the No. 9 seed and face No. 8 seed Montana Tech. They will join the No. 1 seed and host Oklahoma Wesleyan and the No. 16 seed Arkansas Baptist.
 
Wayland Baptist enters the postseason as the No. 7 seed in the Naismith Bracket and will travel to Glendale, Ariz., to take on the No. 10 Carroll. The No. 2 seed is Arizona Christian, and they will match up against the No. 15 seed Corban.
 
Texas Wesleyan landed as the No. 10 seed in the Duer Bracket and will head to Shreveport, La., and will meet the No. 7 seed Morningside. LSU Shreveport is the No. 2 seed in the bracket and will take on Tougaloo.
 
The winners of the 16 host sites will advance to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., for the 88^th Annual National Championship set to start on March 19, with the championship game slated to be on March 24.
 
Go to the NAIA Men’s Basketball Tournament page for more information about the tournament.