LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The NAIA has released the bracket for the 75th Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and Biola has drawn No. 23 Campbellsville University (Ky.) in a first-round game on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CT at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
The Eagles, who were ranked No. 10 in the final regular-season poll, have won 13 of their last 14 games including taking the GSAC Tournament Championship game Tuesday night by a score of 81-77 over Concordia.
Biola's first-round opponent are the Tigers of Campbellsville University out of Campbellsville, Kentucky. The Tigers (21-11) moved up to No. 23 in the final NAIA poll to earn the 12th of 14 at-large berths. Campbellsville, a member of the Mid-South Conference, will be making its ninth NAIA Tournament appearance and is 5-8 all-time. The Tigers last appearance came in 2010 and resulted in a 71-64 opening round loss to Fresno Pacific.
Biola is making its 19th trip to the NAIA National Tournament and its fourth-straight overall. The Eagles have the third-most appearances of any team in the field and the sixth-most of any current NAIA Team, holding a 23-18 all-time record in tournament games.
Among the previous 18 appearances, Biola has finished in the top four twice (2nd 1981-82; 3rd 1999-00) and made seven trips to the quarterfinals. Last season, the Eagles made their second-straight appearance in the NAIA Quarterfinals, falling 66-63 to Martin Methodist College.
The NAIA Tournament is celebrating its 75th season and is the longest-running tournament in any level of college athletics. The tournament features a grueling schedule, forcing the eventual champion to win five games over seven days. The tournament kicks off with first round games on Wednesday, March 14 and Thursday March 15. The second round is Friday, March 16 with Quarterfinals taking place on Saturday, March 17. After a one-day break, the semifinals and finals are played on Monday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 20, respectively.
The championship game is scheduled to be broadcast live on CBS College Sports at 7:00 p.m. CT.
Biola will be providing a free audio broadcast during the tournament through the Biola Athletics website. For fans wishing to watch streaming video, the NAIA offers a pay-per-view, online package through NeuLion. The cost is $29.95 for the entire tournament or $9.95 each day. More information can be found at http://www.watchnaia.com.
To view and print the complete bracket, visit http://www.naia.org/pdf8/830916.pdf.
