# 1980 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1980 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 43rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. Cameron became the champions.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorer:
* Leading rebounder:
* Player of the Year: est. 1994

## 1980 NAIA bracket

| First round | First round | First round | | | Second round | Second round | Second round | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship |
| 1 | Alabama State | 103 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 57 | | | 1 | Alabama State | 103 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | South Carolina-Aiken | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina-Aiken | 74 | | | - | South Carolina-Aiken | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Hampton Institute (Va.) | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Hampton Institute (Va.) | 73 | | | | | | 1 | Alabama State | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 1 | Alabama State | 67 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Central Arkansas | 53 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | - | Central Arkansas | 53 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Defiance (Ohio) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Defiance (Ohio) | 69 | | | 9 | Rockhurst | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Central Arkansas | 54 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central Arkansas | 67 | | | - | Central Arkansas | 54 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Augsburg (Minn) | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Augsburg (Minn) | 61 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Alabama State | 72 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Huron | 58 | | | | |
| 5 | Kearney State (Neb.) | 85 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Huron | 58 | | | | |
| - | Franklin (Ind.) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin (Ind.) | 86 | | | - | Franklin | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Huron | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Huron (S.D.) | 82 | | | - | Huron | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Paul Quinn (Tex.) | 72 | | | | | | - | Huron | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Huron | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Clarion State | 52 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Hawaii-Hilo | 70 | | | | | | | | | - | Clarion State | 52 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Loras (Iowa) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Loras (Iowa) | 72 | | | - | Loras | 71 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Clarion State | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Clarion State (Pa.) | 83 | | | - | Clarion State | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Alabama State | 77 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Cameron | 84 |
| 3 | Cameron (Okla.) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Cameron | 84 |
| - | Saginaw Valley (Mich.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Saginaw Valley (Mich.) | 69 | | | 3 | Cameron | 120 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | St. Augustine's | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 63 | | | 14 | St. Augustine's | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | St. Augustine's (N.C.) | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | St. Augustine's (N.C.) | 66 | | | | | | 3 | Cameron | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Cameron | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | LeMoyne-Owen | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 82 | | | | | | | | | - | LeMoyne-Owen | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| - | LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) | 84* | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) | 84* | | | - | LeMoyne-Owen | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Abilene Christian | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Illinois Wesleyan | 55 | | | 6 | Abilene Christian | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Abilene Christian (Tex.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Abilene Christian (Tex.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Cameron | 71 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 64 | | | | |
| 7 | Central Washington | 89 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 64 | | | | |
| - | Moorhead State (Minn.) | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Moorhead State (Minn.) | 73 | | | 7 | Central Washington | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Biola | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 64 | | | 10 | Biola | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Biola (Calif.) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Biola (Calif.) | 76 | | | | | | 7 | Central Washington | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 7 | Central Washington | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 68* | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Marymount (Kan.) | 99* | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 68* | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dillard (La.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dillard (La.) | 88 | | | 15 | Marymount | 49 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Cumberland (Ky.) | 61 | | | 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing national semifinalist teams to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.
| NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| - | Huron | 59 |
| 2 | Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 54 |