LAKELAND, Fla. — Southeastern Men's Basketball has earned an at-large bid to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, returning to the national tournament for the seventh time in program history.
The Fire will compete in the NAIA National Championship First & Second Rounds hosted by Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, beginning March 13.
Southeastern (24-6) enters the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Duer Bracket and will face No. 8 seed Madonna (Mich.) in the opening round on Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m. ET, the second game of the day at the site. The matchup will mark the first meeting in program history between the two programs.
The day's opening game will feature host Grace College taking on Johnson (Tenn.) at 5 p.m. ET. The winners of the two contests will meet for the site championship and a spot in the tournament's final site.
Southeastern earned its place in the national field following a strong season that saw the Fire finish 24-6 overall and 12-4 in Sun Conference play, placing third in the conference standings. The Fire posted an .800 winning percentage, including an 11-2 record at home, 11-3 on the road, and 2-1 in neutral-site games.
Madonna enters the tournament at 24-7 overall after capturing the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. The Crusaders finished 18-4 in WHAC play, winning the conference regular season title and entering the national tournament on a five-game winning streak.
This season marks Southeastern's first appearance in the NAIA National Championship since 2023, when the Fire advanced to the Round of 16, tying the second-deepest postseason run in program history.
Overall, Southeastern will be making its seventh appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
Southeastern NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament History
- 2014 – National Semifinal
- 2018 – Round of 32
- 2019 – Round of 32
- 2020 – Tournament Not Held
- 2022 – Round of 64
- 2023 – Round of 16
