KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Bracket – PDF | Video Announcement | Schedule) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the 32 qualifiers for the 27th annual NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship, presented by Cypress Risk Management. The event takes place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., March 7 – 13.

St. Thomas earned an automatic bid into the NAIA National Championships and will be one of four #2 seeds in the 32-team tournament.  The Bobcats will open play in the First Round on Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 a.m. vs. #7 seed Michigan-Dearborn.  

This year's field consists of 22 automatic berths and 10 at-large spots. Automatic qualification is given to conference regular-season champions, regular-season runners-up, tournament champions or tournament runners-up depending on the league. At-large teams were determined using the final regular-season Coaches' Top 25 Poll released today. To access the poll, click HERE.

The NAIA Network (www.NAIANetwork.com) – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast the first 30 games leading up to the championship final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single-day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $34.95.