The 2023 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college basketball in the United States. Featuring sixty-four teams, it was played in March 2023, following the 2022–23 season, concluding with the championship game on March 18, 2023.

The national semifinal and championship rounds were held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Christopher Newport won their first national championship, beating Mount Union 74–72 on a buzzer-beating layup by Trey Barber.

Tournament schedule and venues

First and second rounds

First and second round games were played at campus sites on March 3 and March 4.

On the basis of team strength and geography, these locations were chosen to host first and second round games in the 2023 tournament:

Crenshaw Gymnasium, Ashland, Virginia (Host: Randolph–Macon College) Max Ziel Gymnasium, Oswego, New York (Host: State University of New York at Oswego) Horsburgh Gymnasium, Cleveland, Ohio (Host: Case Western Reserve University) Goldfarb Gymnasium, Baltimore, Maryland (Host: Johns Hopkins University) Esbjornson Gymnasium, Glassboro, New Jersey (Host: Rowan University) Kolf Sports Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Host: University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh) McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex, Alliance, Ohio (Host: University of Mount Union) Washington University Field House, St. Louis, Missouri (Host: Washington University in St. Louis) Tarble Pavilion, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (Host: Swarthmore College) Spaulding Gymnasium, Keene, New Hampshire (Host: Keene State College) Stockton University Sports Center, Galloway Township, New Jersey (Host: Stockton University) Pepin Gymnasium, Middlebury, Vermont (Host: Middlebury College) Kirby Field House, Hampden Sydney, Virginia (Host: Hampden–Sydney College) Mayborn Campus Center, Belton, Texas (Host: University of Mary Hardin–Baylor) O'Connell Athletic Center, West Hartford, Connecticut (Host: University of Saint Joseph) Chrouser Sports Complex, Wheaton, Illinois (Host: Wheaton College)

Third and fourth rounds

Third and fourth round games were played at campus sites on March 10 and March 11.

At the conclusion of the second round, the NCAA announced the following locations would host third and fourth round games.

Crenshaw Gymnasium, Ashland, Virginia (Host: Randolph–Macon College) McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex, Alliance, Ohio (Host: University of Mount Union) Tarble Pavilion, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania (Host: Swarthmore College) Freeman Center, Newport News, Virginia (Host: Christopher Newport University)

National Semifinals and Championship

The National Semifinals and Championship were played on March 16 and March 18.

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana (Host: Manchester University)

Fort Wayne hosted the Final Four for the third time, having previously hosted in 2019 and 2022. Fort Wayne was also scheduled to host the Final Four in 2020 and 2021, before those editions of the tournament were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Qualifying teams A total of sixty-four bids were available for the tournament: 44 automatic bids—awarded to the champions of the forty-three NCAA-recognized Division III conference tournaments—and 20 at-large bids.

While this was the first season for the newly established Collegiate Conference of the South, its conference tournament champion was not eligible for an automatic bid until the 2025 tournament.

This was also the final year that the Colonial States Athletic Conference and New England Collegiate Conference received bids; the members of the CSAC merged into the United East Conference ahead of the 2023–24 season, consolidating its bid into the UEC's as part of the process. Meanwhile, after steady losses of membership in recent years, the four remaining members of the NECC joined other conferences for 2023–24 and beyond.

Automatic bids (44) The following 44 teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2023 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid (except for the UAA, whose regular-season champion received the automatic bid).

Automatic bidsConferenceTeamRecord (Conf.)AppearanceLast bidAllegheny MountainLa Roche20–7 (13–1)4th2020American RiversCoe16–12 (7–9)3rd1976American SouthwestEast Texas Baptist23–5 (14–4)2nd2015Atlantic EastMarymount17–10 (10–2)2nd2000CentennialSwarthmore24–3 (16–2)6th2022CUNYACBaruch22–5 (12–2)7th2022Coast to CoastChristopher Newport24–3 (5–0)26th2022CCIWNorth Park22–5 (13–3)10th1990Colonial StatesWilson19–8 (11–3)2nd2022Commonwealth CoastNichols23–5 (16–2)6th2022Empire 8St. John Fisher21–7 (14–4)18th2020Great NortheastAlbertus Magnus19–9 (14–4)8th2019HeartlandAnderson (IN)18–9 (14–4)2nd2010LandmarkScranton20–7 (10–4)29th2017LibertySt. Lawrence19–7 (13–5)14th2017Little EastKeene State26–1 (16–0)8th2022MAC CommonwealthWidener19–8 (11–5)17th2009MAC FreedomArcadia15–11 (9–7)2nd2019MASCACWorcester State22–5 (12–0)3rd1994MichiganHope19–9 (10–4)29th2022MidwestIllinois College25–2 (15–1)2nd2003MinnesotaCarleton24–3 (17–3)3rd2010NECCMitchell23–4 (6–0)4th2022NESCACHamilton19–8 (7–3)12th2019NEWMACBabson19–8 (10–4)12th2022New JerseyRowan22–5 (16–2)15th2022North AtlanticSUNY Delhi20–8 (10–4)1stNeverNorth CoastWabash21–7 (11–5)7th2022Northern AthleticsSt. Norbert19–7 (14–3)10th2020NorthwestWhitworth18–9 (11–5)16th2022OhioMount Union25–2 (16–2)5th2022Old DominionRandolph–Macon27–1 (16–0)19th2022Presidents'Chatham17–11 (13–7)2nd2019SkylineFarmingdale State21–7 (13–3)7th2019SouthernSewanee19–9 (9–5)6th2019SCIACCal Lutheran13–13 (8–8)5th2001SCACSchreiner15–13 (6–10)2nd2018SLIACFontbonne16–11 (10–4)5th2009SUNYACOswego State25–2 (17–1)8th2022United EastLancaster Bible20–7 (15–1)3rd2018UAACase Western Reserve21–3 (11–3)2nd2022Upper MidwestBethany Lutheran23–4 (12–2)3rd2020USA SouthNorth Carolina Wesleyan23–4 (13–1)6th2011WisconsinUW–Whitewater21–7 (9–5)22nd2017

At-large bids (20)

The following 20 teams were awarded qualification for the tournament field by the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee. The committee evaluated teams on the basis of their win–loss percentage, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, results against common opponents, and results against teams included in the NCAA's final regional rankings.

At-large bidsConferenceTeamRecord (Conf.)AppearanceLast bidUAAEmory17–8 (8–6)11th2022Old DominionHampden–Sydney21–6 (14–2)15th2013OhioJohn Carroll22–4 (16–2)16th2018CentennialJohns Hopkins23–4 (16–2)14th2022American SouthwestMary Hardin–Baylor21–5 (16–2)8th2022Coast to CoastMary Washington19–8 (4–2)3rd2014NESCACMiddlebury19–5 (7–3)12th2020New JerseyMontclair State22–5 (15–3)7th2003UAANYU18–7 (7–7)11th2016SCIACPomona–Pitzer20–6 (15–1)15th2022UAARochester16–9 (6–8)18th2022Great NortheastSt. Joseph (CT)27–1 (18–0)3rd2022SCACSt. Thomas (TX)23–3 (16–0)1stNeverNew JerseyStockton22–5 (15–3)18th2022NESCACTufts19–7 (6–4)7th2020Empire 8Utica22–4 (17–1)2nd2006WisconsinUW–Oshkosh21–6 (13–1)12th2022UAAWashington–St. Louis19–6 (10–4)24th2022CCIWWheaton (IL)22–4 (14–2)13th2022NESCACWilliams22–4 (7–3)19th2022

Tournament bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

Top-left - Ashland, Virginia

Bottom-left - Alliance, Ohio

Top-right - Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Bottom-right - Newport News, Virginia

Final Four

Record by conference ConferenceRecordWin %R64R32S16E8F4CGNCCoast to Coast7–12211111Ohio6–2221111Wisconsin7–222221Centennial6–222211Commonwealth Coast3–11111SUNYAC3–11111CCIW5–22221Little East2–1111American Southwest3–2221Old Dominion3–2221New Jersey4–3322Great Northeast2–2211NESCAC4–444Empire 82–222Landmark1–111Michigan1–111Northern Athletics1–111United East1–111UAA2–552Southern Collegiate0–22SCIAC0–22

The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (first round), round of 32 (second round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively. The Allegheny Mountain, American Rivers, Atlantic East, CUNYAC, Colonial States, Heartland, Liberty, MAC Commonwealth, MAC Freedom, MASCAC, Midwest, Minnesota, NECC, NEWMAC, North Atlantic, North Coast, Northwest, Presidents', Skyline, SAA, SLIAC, Upper Midwest, and USA South each had one representative, eliminated in the Round of 64 with a record of 0–1.

See also 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 2023 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament 2023 NAIA men's basketball tournament 2023 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

References