BILLINGS — For the first time, Rocky Mountain College has been selected to host first- and second-round games of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship. The Battlin' Bears will host three games in the Fortin Education Center on March 13 and 14.
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the host sites for the first and second rounds of the 2026 Men's and Women's Basketball Championships on Monday. The NAIA released 16 women's and 16 men's sites, making up two 64-team championship fields. Each first- and second-round site will feature four teams, who will play single-elimination games on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14. The winner of each men's four-team site will advance to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., March 19-24 at historic Municipal Auditorium.
The announcement marks the first time since the NAIA began playing the first and second round in the 2021-22 season that the Rocky men will host in Billings. The Battlin’ Bear women hosted in that inaugural season, winning their pod at home.
All games will be live-streamed on Urban Edge Network, a free platform with a mobile and smart TV app.
The participating teams in Rocky’s pod will be announced during the NAIA men’s basketball selection show, airing at 5 p.m. (MT) Thursday.
Game times, ticket information and more will be announced alongside the participating teams following the selection show on Thursday.
The full list of the NAIA men's hosting sites can be found HERE and the women's site can be found HERE.
