KANSAS CITY, Mo. –[SCHEDULE | CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM | BRACKET] The 43^rd Annual NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by Sterling and Bomgaars, will tip off for the 26^th time in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday, March 21, at 1 p.m. CT. The single-elimination championship runs through March 26 at the Tyson Events Center.

The round of 16 will start with No. 1 Marian (Ind.) competing in the 1:00 p.m. CT game on Thursday afternoon, squaring off against No. 12 Jamestown (N.D.) in the Naismith Quadrant.

Marian was rated No. 6 at its lowest point early in the season and was most recently rated No. 1 in the final regular season Coaches’ Top 25 Rating. The Knights ride a win streak of 30 games into the final site with only one blemish on their record, which came at the hands of Concordia (Neb.) in November. If both Marian (ind.) and Concordia (Neb.) win their respective round of 16 games, they could meet again in the quarterfinals.

No. 12 Jamestown (N.D.) has the makings of a Cinderella story. With wins over Nos. 4 and 5 in the Naismith Quadrant, the Jimmies are the only 12 seed to advance to the final site.

The first 14 games of the national championship, including the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, will be video-streamed live on the NAIA Network (CLICK HERE), the NAIA’s official video-streaming platform powered by Presto Sports. The championship final will air on ESPN3. A championship pass for all 14 games on the NAIA Network is $34.95, while a day pass is $9.95.

The Tyson Event Center is a clear bag facility. The Tyson Events Center seeks to create a safe and secure venue on event and non-event days. For more information on what is acceptable CLICK HERE

Championship Nuggets

• Sixty-four teams qualified for the 2024 championship field. After the first and second rounds at 16 sites around the country, the field was narrowed to 16 teams that advanced to the final site in Sioux City. 
• Campbellsville (Ky.) is the all-time leader in championship appearances, with the 2024 tournament being the Tiger's 32^nd appearance.
• There were no first-year teams that advanced to the final site.
• Fifteen of the 16 teams that remain in the tournament all qualified for the 2023 tournament. Providence (Mont.) is the only one that did not qualify in 2023. The Argos last qualified in 2022.
• There are four teams remaining in the tournament field that have won a title: Indiana Wesleyan 2 (2007, 2013), Marian (Ind.) 2 (2016, 2017), Concordia (Neb.) 1 (2019), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 1 (2018).
• The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has the highest number of teams still in the Battle for the Red Banner: Briar Cliff (Iowa), Concordia (Neb.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), Dordt (Iowa) and Jamestown (N.D.).
• There will be eight of 21 conferences that will be represented at the final site.
• Marian (Ind.) enters the final site with the longest win streak, 30 consecutive wins. Campbellsville (Ky.) follows with a 22-game win streak of its own.
• The round of 16 is comprised of seven at-large qualifiers and nine automatic qualifiers.
• In the round of 16, no quadrant advanced all 1-4 seeds. All four one-seeds advanced. Two of each of the following seeds advanced: two, three, four, six and seven. One of the following seeds advanced: five and 12.
• 1-seeds combined for an 8-0 record
• 2-seeds, 3-seeds, 4-seeds, 7-seeds combined for a 6-2 record
• 5-seeds combined for a 3-3 record
• 6-seeds combined for a 5-2 record
• 12 seeds combined for a 3-3 record
• Championship Individual Game-High Stat Leaders after 1^st & 2^nd Rounds:
  • Total Points: 43, Jordan Zrust, Mayville State (N.D.)
  • Field Goals Made: 14, Keanna Salave’a, Providence (Mont.)
  • 3 Point Field Goals Made: 7, Lauren Rowley, William Carey (Miss.)
  • Free Throws Made: 16, Jordan Zrust, Mayville State (N.D.)
  • Total Rebounds: 20 Megan Nestor, Wayland Baptist (Texas)
  • Assists: 12, Kassie Monday, Cumberlands (Ky.)
  • Steals: 7, Macy Sievers, Dordt (Iowa)
  • Hustle States (Reb + Assists + Blocks + Steals): 26, Kolten Blakeney, William Carey (Miss.)