There is nothing like walking into the gym before everyone gets there—before any players, coaches, or parents line the sidelines, before the anthem plays, before the shoes start squeaking and the first whistle blows. Walking into a gym before the tournament starts is sweet silence. We wait to walk into our gyms as we start another season of NIRSA Championship Series regional basketball tournaments.
In a little over two weeks, three of the thirteen regional basketball tournaments will kick off the NIRSA basketball season! We look forward to having Men’s, Women’s, and Unified teams at our regionals and can’t wait to see which teams will be crowned winners. There will be 13 automatic bids into the NIRSA National Basketball Championships through the regional tournaments. The winners will make their way to Wichita, Kansas where Wichita State University and Wichita Hoops will host the next three years of basketball championships.
Over the first weekend in March, the first three regionals will tip off at Georgia Southern University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Maryland. The remaining nine tournaments will take place each weekend in March finishing on March 24. For all the teams attending a regional, good luck! We’re excited to have you at a NIRSA tournament!
For teams wanting to go to nationals, registration on IMLeagues is open! You don’t have to qualify to play in the national tournament or receive an automatic bid—all you need to do is sign up. Make sure your school’s team doesn’t miss out. NIRSA is also partnering with Special Olympics for a third consecutive year in expansion of our Unified League! Twelve teams comprised of Special Olympics athletes and college students will compete for a national honor.
Follow all the National Basketball action and more by checking out the NIRSA Play Blog or check us out on Twitter and Instagram by following the @NIRSAChamp handle.
- For more information, reach out to Basketball Work Team Chair Jeff Logsdon or NIRSA National Sport Programs Coordinator Nicole Jackson.
Nicole Jackson is currently the Director of National Sport Programs at NIRSA.
