# 1976 NCAA Division III basketball tournament

The 1976 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the second annual single-elimination tournament to determine the men's collegiate basketball national champion of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, held during March 1976.
The tournament field included 28 teams, a decrease of two from 1975, and the national championship rounds were contested in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Scranton defeated Wittenberg, 60–57 (in overtime), to win their first national championship.

## Bracket
### Regionals

| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 87 | | | |
| UMass Boston | UMass Boston | 65 | | | |
| UMass Boston | UMass Boston | 65 | Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 89 |
| | | | SE Massachusetts | SE Massachusetts | 87 |
| SE Massachusetts | SE Massachusetts | 79 | SE Massachusetts | SE Massachusetts | 87 |
| Suffolk | Suffolk | 76 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | UMass Boston | UMass Boston | 108 |
| | | | Suffolk | Suffolk | 101 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 68 | | | |
| RPI | RPI | 65 | | | |
| RPI | RPI | 65 | Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 83 |
| | | | CCNY | CCNY | 81 |
| CCNY | CCNY | 94 | CCNY | CCNY | 81 |
| RIT | RIT | 69 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | RPI | RPI | 74 |
| | | | RIT | RIT | 81 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 88 | | | |
| Oberlin | Oberlin | 66 | | | |
| Oberlin | Oberlin | 66 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 61 |
| | | | Ashland | Ashland | 49 |
| Ashland | Ashland | 75 | Ashland | Ashland | 49 |
| Hiram | Hiram | 74 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Oberlin | Oberlin | 80 |
| | | | Hiram | Hiram | 77 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Miles | Miles | 79 | | | |
| Sewanee | Sewanee | 71 | | | |
| Sewanee | Sewanee | 71 | Miles | Miles | 87 |
| | | | Transylvania | Transylvania | 85 |
| Transylvania | Transylvania | 112 | Transylvania | Transylvania | 85 |
| LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 92 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Sewanee | Sewanee | 86 |
| | | | LeMoyne–Owen | LeMoyne–Owen | 73 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Widener | Widener | 65 | | | |
| Mansfield State | Mansfield State | 54 | | | |
| Mansfield State | Mansfield State | 54 | Scranton | Scranton | 70 |
| | | | Widener | Widener | 65 |
| Scranton | Scranton | 68 | Widener | Widener | 65 |
| Grove City | Grove City | 45 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Mansfield State | Mansfield State | 73 |
| | | | Grove City | Grove City | 59 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Shepherd | Shepherd | 77 | | | |
| Glassboro State | Glassboro State | 62 | | | |
| Glassboro State | Glassboro State | 62 | Shepherd | Shepherd | 79 |
| | | | Monmouth | Monmouth | 71 |
| Monmouth | Monmouth | 97 | Monmouth | Monmouth | 71 |
| Lynchburg | Lynchburg | 73 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Glassboro State | Glassboro State | 82 |
| | | | Lynchburg | Lynchburg | 62 |
| First round | First round | First round | Regional Championship | Regional Championship | Regional Championship |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 83 | | | |
| Cornell College | Cornell College | 77 | | | |
| Cornell College | Cornell College | 77 | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 79 |
| | | | Coe | Coe | 70 |
| Coe | Coe | 70 | Coe | Coe | 70 |
| Simpson | Simpson | 62 | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place | Regional Third-place |
| | | | Cornell College | Cornell College | 88 |
| | | | Simpson | Simpson | 96 |

### National finals

* Site: Reading, Pennsylvania
| National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National quarterfinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| Rhode Island College | Rhode Island College | 80 | | | | | | |
| Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 91 | | | | | | |
| Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 91 | Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 58 | | | |
| | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 71 | | | |
| Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 101 | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 71 | | | |
| Miles | Miles | 75 | | | | | | |
| Miles | Miles | 75 | | | | Wittenberg | Wittenberg | 57 |
| | | | | | | Scranton | Scranton | 60* |
| Scranton | Scranton | 94 | | | | | | | Scranton | Scranton | 60* |
| Shepherd | Shepherd | 78 | | | |
| Shepherd | Shepherd | 78 | Scranton | Scranton | 76 | National third-place game | National third-place game | National third-place game |
| | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 65 |
| | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 65 | Plattsburgh State | Plattsburgh State | 69 |
| | | | | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 93 |