Dancing: Northwest Florida Men’s Basketball Earns At-Large Bid to NJCAA Tournament
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Northwest Florida State men's basketball is heading back to the national stage. For the 15th time in program history, the Raiders have earned a spot in the NJCAA Basketball Championship and will compete for the program's fourth national title.
The NJCAA unveiled the 24-team tournament bracket Monday night, with Northwest Florida selected as one of eight at-large teams in the field. The Raiders enter as the No. 11 seed and will face No. 22 seed Bishop State in the opening round on March 22 at 8:00 p.m. in Hutchinson, Kansas.
Despite being located just over 100 miles apart, the Raiders and Wildcats will travel more than 1,000 miles to meet in a win-or-go-home matchup, with the winner advancing to face No. 6 seed Vincennes in the second round.
Northwest Florida and Bishop State don't meet often on the court. The two programs have faced each other just twice in the past decade, both coming during the 2024–25 season when the Raiders won both matchups.
The Raiders enter the tournament with a 25–7 record after falling to Chipola by three points in the FCSAA semifinals. Chipola earned a No. 5 seed in the national tournament field. Northwest Florida is also one of four teams from Florida to reach the tournament. Gulf Coast State earned an at-large bid as the No. 13 seed, while FCSAA runner-up Daytona State secured the No. 17 seed.
This appearance marks the 15th trip to the national tournament for the Raiders, who have established themselves as one of the most successful programs in NJCAA history. Northwest Florida holds a 43–19 all-time record at the national tournament, the sixth-most wins in tournament history. Since the modern tournament era began in 2013, the Raiders have posted the most wins of any program in Hutchinson with a 22–7 record.
Now Northwest Florida will look to add to that legacy. The Raiders will need five wins to capture the program's fourth national championship—and the second under head coach Steve DeMeo.