NJCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Division III Basketball Championships consists of eight teams playing over a three-day period (Thursday-Saturday) in March to determine a National Champion. The tournament field is made up of teams that win either region or district championships that are required to earn entry into the tournament.
How The Tournament Works
The Tournament is a standard eight-team tournament. Each team will play three games in the Tournament to determine first through eighth places.
One qualifier will emerge from each of the following districts
| District 1 | Region III |
| District 2 | Regions IV & VII |
| District 3 | Regions II & V |
| District 4 | Region XIII |
| District 5 | Region XV |
| District 6 | Region XIX |
| District 7 | Regions X, XVII & XX |
| District 8 | Region XXI |
Before teams begin to qualify for the tournament, a Blind Draw is done to determine the match-ups between the different districts in the Quarterfinals.
| Quarterfinals |
| Game 1: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw |
| Game 2: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw |
| Game 3: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw |
| Game 4: Blind Draw vs. Blind Draw |
The Semi-Finals of the Tournament consist of the Winners of Game 1 and Game 2 of the Quarterfinals playing each other followed by the Winners of Game 3 and Game 4 of the Quarterfinals.
The Consolation Games consist of the Losers of Games 1 and 2 of the Quarters playing each other followed by the Losers of Games 3 and 4 of the Quarters playing each other.
| Consolation Games & Semi-Finals |
| Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 |
| Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 |
| Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 |
| Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 |
On the final day of the Tournament, teams play each other to find out which place they will finish.
Three teams ranging from 2nd place to 4th place are guaranteed to finish 2-1, with the National Title game loser finishing in 2nd.
Teams finishing from 5th place to 7th place will finish 1-2.
Only one team will finish 0-3 and that team will place in 8th.
The only team that finishes the tournament 3-0 will be the National Champion.
| Championship Round |
| 7th/8th Place Game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6 |
| 4th/6th Place Game: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 |
| 3rd/5th Place Game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8 |
| National Championship Game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 |
Past Tournament Results
The list of NJCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship winners, along with runners-up and final scores, follows.
Championship Leaders
| Team | Championships | Winning year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County Community College | 4 | 1992, 1995, 1996, 2007 |
| Richland College | 3 | 1999, 2009, 2015 |
| Rock Valley College | 2 | 2014, 2016 |
| North Lake College | 2 | 2006, 2008 |
| Suffolk County Community College | 2 | 2003, 2004 |
| Brookdale Community College | 1 | 2013 |
| Sandhills Community College | 1 | 2012 |
| Mountain View College | 1 | 2011 |
| Joliet Junior College | 1 | 2010 |
| Hostos Community College | 1 | 2005 |
| College of DuPage | 1 | 2002 |
| Cedar Valley College | 1 | 2001 |
| Roxbury Community College | 1 | 2000 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | 1 | 1998 |
| Eastfield College | 1 | 1997 |
| Gloucester County College | 1 | 1994 |
| Onondaga Community College | 1 | 1993 |
| Herkimer County Community College | 1 | 1991 |