FIRST BLACK COLLEGE BASKETBALL DISTRICTS (NAIA)
After a long and arduous uphill battle, The National Intercollegiate Athletic Association plotted a road map for the inclusion of Black College basketball teams into the annual national invitational tournament, which was the biggest college platform at the time. The first- District 6- clumped all of the teams together and the outright champion was decided after individual conference champions met to decide the one representative that would be the pole bearer in Kansas City, Missouri. As recorded Black College Steering Committee Executive Secretary Mack Greene (Central State, Ohio),
Tennessee State became the first team to step on the floor in Kansas City. It soon became evident that this system did not allow some of the other Black college teams a fair opportunity, and other districts were formed in the regions where these schools resided. This opened the door for some of the best college basketball competition ever, and produced several national champions- two of whom became three-time repeat champions (Tennessee State- 1957, ’58, ’59) and Kentucky State (1970, ’71, ’72).
(Legend: Record= Tournament Games Won-Lost, *=NAIA Champions)
District 6
1958 Texas Southern (4-1)
1959 Grambling State (1-1)
1960 (E) Savannah State (1-1)
(W) Grambling State (2-1)
1961 (A) Savannah State (0-1)
(B) *Grambling State (5-0) NAIA National Champions
1962 (A) Savannah State (1-1)
(B) *Prairie View (5-0) NAIA National Champions
1963 (A) Miles (0-1)
(B) Grambling State (3-2)
1964 (A) Miles ( 1-1)
(B) Grambling State (1-1)
1965 Albany State (1-1)
1966 Bethune-Cookman (0-1)
1967 Albany State (0-1)
1968 Albany State (0-1)
1969 –
1970 South Carolina State (0-1)
1972 –
1972 –
1973 South Carolina State (1-1)
District 8
1958-67 –
1968 Bishop College (0-1)
1969 –
1970 Wiley College (1-1)
1971 Texas Southern (0-1)
1972 Bishop College (0-1)
1973-75 –
1976 Texas Southern (2-1)
1977 *Texas Southern (5-0) NAIA National Champs
1978-79 –
1980 Paul Quinn (0-1)
1981 –
1982 Paul Quinn (0-1)
1983-87 –
1988 Paul Quinn (0-1)
1989 –
1990 Paul Quinn (0-1)
1991 –
District 19
1958-68 –
1969 Maryland State (4-1)
1970 Maryland State (2-1)
1971 –
1972 MD – Eastern Shore (0-1)
1973 MD – Eastern Shore (4-1)
1974-75 –
1976 *Coppin State (5-0) NAIA National Champions
1977 –
1978 Hampton (0-1)
1979 Norfolk State (1-1)
1980 Hampton (0-1)
1981 Norfolk State (0-1)
1982 Hampton (4-1)
1983 Lincoln, PA (0-1)
1984-92 –
District 22
1958-62 –
1963 Central State, 0 (1-1)
1964 –
1965 Central State, 0 (5-0)
1966 *Central State, 0 (2-1) NAIA National Champs
1967 –
1968 *Central State, 0 (5-0) NAIA National Champs
1969 Central State, 0 (0-1)
1970 Central State, 0 (2-1)
1971-75 –
1976 Central State, 0 (0-1)
1977 Central State, 0 (0-1)
1978 Central State, 0 (2-1)
1979 Central State, 0 (2-1)
1980-92 –
District 28
1958-62 –
1963 West Virginia State (1-1)
1964-86 –
1987 West Virginia State (4-1)
1988-92 –
District 29
1959 Tennessee State (5-0)
1959 Kentucky State (0-1)
1960 Tennessee State (4-1)
1961 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1962 Winston-Salem St (1-1)
1963 Winston-Salem St (0-1)
1964 –
1965 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1966 Norfolk State (3-2)
1967-68 –
1969 Elizabeth City State (3-2)
1970 –
1971 Elizabeth City St (4-11)
1972 Elizabeth City State (0-1)
1973 –
1974 Virginia State (0-1)
1975 Norfolk State (1-1)
1976 Norfolk State (1-1)
1977-92 –
District 29
1959 Tennessee State (5-0)
1959 Kentucky State (0-1)
1960 Tennessee State (4-1)
1961 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1962 Winston-Salem St (1-1)
1963 Winston-Salem St (0-1)
1964 –
1965 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1966 Norfolk State (3-2)
1967-68 –
1969 Elizabeth City State (3-2)
1970 –
1971 Elizabeth City St (4-11)
1972 Elizabeth City State (0-1)
1973 –
1974 Virginia State (0-1)
1975 Norfolk State (1-1)
1976 Norfolk State (1-1)
1977-92 –
District 29
1959 Tennessee State (5-0)
1959 Kentucky State (0-1)
1960 Tennessee State (4-1)
1961 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1962 Winston-Salem St (1-1)
1963 Winston-Salem St (0-1)
1964 –
1965 Winston-Salem St (2-1)
1966 Norfolk State (3-2)
1967-68 –
1969 Elizabeth City State (3-2)
1970 –
1971 Elizabeth City St (4-11)
1972 Elizabeth City State (0-1)
1973 –
1974 Virginia State (0-1)
1975 Norfolk State (1-1)
1976 Norfolk State (1-1)
1977-92 –
District 30
1958-64 –
1965 Southern (2-1)
1966 Grambling State (4-1)
1967 Alcorn State (0-1)
1968 Alcorn State (0-1)
1969 Grambling State (0-1)
1970-74 –
1975 Alcorn State (4-1)
1976 Alcorn State (0-1)
1977 Alcorn State (2-1)
1978 Mississippi Valley St (0-1)
1979 –
1980 Dillard (0-1)
1981 Xavier (0-1)
1982 Xavier (0-1)
1983-90 –
1991 Xavier (0-1)
1992 –
District 31
1958-59 –
1962 Maryland State (0-1)
1962-64 –
1965 Maryland State (0-1)
1966-92 –
District 32
1958-76 –
1977 Kentucky State (0-1)
1978 –
NAIA: The Breakthrough and Championships That Followed