# 1976 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1976 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 39th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This was the first tournament since 1969 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA semifinals. (It was the 6th time since 1937 this happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1969).

## Awards and honors

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

## 1976 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 | Fairmont State (W.Va.) | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Howard Payne (Tex.) | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Howard Payne (Tex.) | 52 | | | 1 | Fairmont State | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Texas Southern | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | West Florida | 59 | | | 16 | Texas Southern | 82 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Texas Southern | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Texas Southern | 81 | | | | | | 16 | Texas Southern | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 16 | Texas Southern | 77 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 9 | Coppin State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Coppin State (Md.) | 78 | | | | | | | | | 9 | Coppin State | 88 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 55 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dowling (N.Y.) | 55 | | | 9 | Coppin State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 8 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin (Ind.) | 61 | | | 8 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 74 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Wisconsin-Parkside | 74 | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Coppin State | 82 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Marymount | 81 | | | | |
| 5 | Pikeville (Ky.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Marymount | 81 | | | | |
| - | Alabama-Huntsville | 94 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Alabama-Huntsville | 94 | | | - | Alabama-Huntsville | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Doane | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Doane (Neb.) | 80 | | | - | Doane | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Norfolk State (Va.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Norfolk State (Va.) | 79 | | | | | | - | Alabama-Huntsville | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Alabama-Huntsville | 76 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 4 | Marymount | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Central Washington State | 75 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Marymount | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 72 | | | 4 | Marymount | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 13 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Eastern Montana | 76 | | | 13 | Central Washington State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Marymount (Kan.) | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Marymount (Kan.) | 93 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | Coppin State | 96 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Henderson State | 91 |
| 3 | Alcorn State (Miss.) | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Henderson State | 91 |
| - | Lake Superior State (Mich.) | 88' | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lake Superior State (Mich.) | 88' | | | 14 | Edinboro State | 73 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Lake Superior State | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) | 73 | | | - | Lake Superior State | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Edinboro State (Pa.) | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Edinboro State (Pa.) | 88 | | | | | | - | Lake Superior State | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Lake Superior State | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Henderson State | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Illinois Wesleyan | 100 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Henderson State | 78 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southwest Baptist (Mo.) | 84 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Southwest Baptist (Mo.) | 84 | | | 6 | Henderson State | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 11 | Illinois Wesleyan | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 67 | | | 11 | Illinois Wesleyan | 66 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 80 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 80 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Henderson State | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 79** | | | | |
| 7 | Guilford (N.C.) | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 79** | | | | |
| - | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 101 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 101 | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 107 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | California Baptist | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Husson (Maine) | 81 | | | 10 | California Baptist | 78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | California Baptist | 95 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | California Baptist | 95 | | | | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | - | Lincoln Memorial | 75 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 15 | Newberry | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Newberry (S.C.) | 89 | | | | | | | | | 15 | Newberry | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 86 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Linfield (Ore.) | 86 | | | 15 | Newberry | 65 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central State (Ohio) | 52 | | | 2 | Grand Canyon | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon (Ariz.) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes double overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist 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 |
| 4 | Marymount | 78 |
| - | Lincoln Memorial | 75 |