Northwest Florida Men’s and Women’s Basketball Claim No. 1 Seeds in FCSAA Tournament

TALLAHASSEE — The brackets are set, and March Madness is returning to Niceville. On Wednesday afternoon, the FCSAA Basketball Championship committees unveiled the field for the upcoming FCSAA Basketball Championships, with both Northwest Florida State teams earning No. 1 seeds in the eight-team tournaments.

Each squad will compete for a Region 8 title and an automatic berth to the NJCAA National Tournament — hosted in Hutchinson, Kansas (men) and Lake Charles, Louisiana (women).

Men's Tournament

The Raiders return to the FCSAA Tournament after narrowly missing out a season ago. Northwest Florida navigated one of the toughest conference schedules in the country, finishing in a four-way tie for first place alongside Gulf Coast, Chipola, and Tallahassee. The Raiders secured one of three Panhandle Conference bids via a Massey Ratings tiebreaker. Gulf Coast earned the No. 2 seed, while Chipola enters as the No. 4 seed.

Northwest Florida opens tournament play Wednesday, March 11 at 6:00 p.m. against No. 8 seed Miami Dade. The Sharks placed fifth in the Citrus Conference with an 8-8 league record, claiming the final automatic qualifying spot.

Head coach Steve DeMeo and the Raiders are seeking their 11th FCSAA/Region 8 Championship and first since 2023.

Women's Tournament

For the second straight season, the Raiders enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed. Northwest Florida is chasing its seventh FCSAA/Region 8 Championship, with its most recent title coming in 2024.

The Raiders head into postseason play as one of the state's hottest teams, riding an eight-game winning streak that includes multiple victories over ranked opponents Chipola (twice) and Gulf Coast (three times).

Northwest Florida will face a familiar opponent in No. 8 seed Eastern Florida, led by former longtime Raider assistant Zack Banks. The Titans posted a 7-11 conference record and secured the final at-large position via tiebreakers over St. Petersburg and Hillsborough.

The Raiders and Titans are set to tip off Thursday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m. inside Raider Arena.

For complete tournament coverage — including tickets, updated brackets, and event information — visit the official FCSAA Championship website.