NCSAA Basketball Championships

March 5-8, 2025

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

Location and Directions:

A majority of the games will be played at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (800 Martinsburg Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050).

Additional games will be played at:

Energy Fieldhouse (Thursday and Friday) - 101 Yellow Jacket Drive, Mount Vernon, OH 43050
Gilead Christian School - 4863 US Highway 42, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
Genoa Christian Academy (Thursday only) - 7562 Lewis Center Road, Westerville, OH 43082

Directions to MVNU are available HERE. After you check in at MVNU, we can help you with directions to other facilities, if you need assistance. (If you are playing your FIRST game of the tournament at either Gilead or Genoa, you will need to go directly there for on-site registration and to play your game. You are not required to come to MVNU first.)

What You Need to Provide:

Medical Waiver Forms – The parent / guardian of each player MUST complete an online Athlete Waiver Form. No player will be permitted to participate in any NCSAA tournament if NCSAA does not have a completed, current, and valid form on file for that player. Please make your players and their parents aware of this requirement now, so that they can begin going online and submitting their forms. All forms must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Monday, February 24. You can access the Athlete Waiver Form by clicking HERE. Waiver forms that are submitted after the deadline will incur a $10 fee (per late waiver).
Scorebook Keeper – You’ll be responsible for providing one person to keep your team scorebook during each of your games. Please have that person check in at the scorer’s table, with your team’s information completed in the scorebook, at the end of the preceding game (or at least 15 minutes before your scheduled game). If you will not have someone available to keep your scorebook, please notify NCSAA right away. (For any tournament game at which neither team has a person available to keep the scorebook, both teams will be required to pay $50 each -- so that NCSAA can pay someone to at least keep score and fouls for that game. We are not offering this as a service, as we don't have extra staff readily available to do this...so please bring someone to keep your scorebook, so that we can avoid assessing this penalty to your team.)
Basketballs – You’ll need to bring your own balls for warm-up, and we will plan to use one of the participating teams' best balls for the game ball in each game. (We will have a few extra game balls on-hand, in the event that no good game balls are available for a particular game.)
Water Bottles - You’ll be responsible for bringing your own filled water bottles to the gym. There are water fountains nearby most courts, if you need access to water there, as well.
Medical Supplies – We will have an athletic trainer or medical personnel on site at most times, but you will be responsible for bringing your own medical supplies. (In particular, be sure to have your own tape and underwrap, for taping ankles, etc -- as this will not be provided by the trainer.) During times when an athletic trainer or medical personnel is not available, we will have directions to nearby hospitals and urgent care facilities, if needed.

Making Your Payment:

All teams should already have submitted their entry fees for this tournament. If you have not done so, you can send a check (which needs to arrive to NCSAA by Friday, February 7) or submit your fees via the payment link below.

Each team also must submit Individual Athlete Fees for each of their athletes (you may not play your first game in the tournament without doing so). Individual athlete fees are due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, February 26. Individual athlete fees that are paid late (or brought to be paid at the tournament) will be assessed a $50 late fee.

Individual athlete fees are $25 per athlete.

Entry fees can be paid at THIS LINK.

Individual athlete fees can be paid at THIS LINK.

If you are not sure whether your team has made payment, please contact NCSAA.

Registration / When You Arrive:

Coaches are required to arrive early enough to attend their assigned Coaches Registration Meeting on Wednesday (girls) or Thursday (boys). These are required; coaches MUST attend the correct registration meeting, corresponding to their first game time (girls on Wednesday, boys on Thursday):

All 8:45 AM or 9:00 AM game times - Coaches arrive for 7:30 AM registration meeting.
All 10:15 AM or 10:30 AM game times - Coaches arrive for 9:00 AM registration meeting.
All 11:45 AM or 12:00 PM game times - Coaches arrive for 10:30 AM registration meeting.
All 1:15 PM or 1:30 PM game times - Coaches arrive for 12:00 PM registration meeting.
All 3:00 PM or 3:30 PM game times - Coaches arrive for 1:45 PM registration meeting.
All 4:30 PM or 5:00 game times - Coaches arrive for 3:15 PM registration meeting.
All 6:00 PM or 6:30 game times - Coaches arrive for 4:45 PM registration meeting.
All 7:30 PM or 8:00 game times - Coaches arrive for 6:15 PM registration meeting.

All Coaches' Registration Meetings will be held inside Ariel Arena (the MVNU main fieldhouse) -- in Foster Hall (a meeting room near the lobby). Please be sure that your head coach arrives early enough to locate Foster Hall and attend this important meeting; if you don't arrive on time, you will be required to stay later, and you'll be delayed from getting to your court on time for your game (which may lead to a forfeited game). Thank you for making this a priority!

At these meetings, on-site tournament registration will take place...and you will receive your coaches' packets (very important!) and final schedules (reflecting any recent changes), verify that all of your athletes are eligible to participate, and be provided with important tournament information. Again, these meetings are mandatory...so please arrive on time for your scheduled meeting...Thank you!

For teams scheduled to play their first game on Thursday at Energy Fieldhouse...You MUST come to the Coaches' Registration Meeting at Mount Vernon Nazarene University before proceeding to Energy Fieldhouse!

NOTE: The only exception to this rule is for teams who are playing their first game at either Gilead Christian or Genoa Christian on Wednesday or Thursday. If you are playing your first game at either of those sites, we will have staff available to handle your registration process at that gym before your game. Please still arrive at least an hour before game time, to allow time for our staff member to review tournament rules with you and complete the registration process. Thanks!

Schedule:

The tournament schedule will be available on or before Friday, February 28 (as long as all teams submit their rosters / seeding information by the deadline). We will send an e-mail out to all athletic directors and coaches, when the schedule has been published.

Please contact us now if you have any questions about the schedule.

Tournament Livestream:

An exciting addition to the tournament this year will be a livestream broadcast of most tournament games, provided by BallerTV. (All games at MVNU and Energy Fieldhouse will be featured on the livestream.) For more details about the livestream broadcasts and how to make them available to your families and school community, click the graphic below:

Game Start Times:

The times listed on the tournament schedule are the start times for the games. In order to keep the tournament on schedule, we must begin each game on time. If your team is late for your scheduled game, you may be required to forfeit. Please plan to arrive early for each of your games.

We have tried to schedule sufficient time to allow teams to get onto the court and warm up before their games. However, in the event that the court time before your game is cut short (by an overtime period in the previous game or some other reason), please begin some basic warm-up and stretching elsewhere in the facility – so that we can start each game on time, as often as possible. In that event, we will make sure that your team still receives sufficient on-court warm-up time before your game.

Home / Away Uniforms:

The first team listed (on the schedule) will be considered the home team in each game. The home team should wear white / light jerseys.

The second team listed (on the schedule) will be considered the away team in each game. The away team should wear dark jerseys.

If you have any problems regarding your team’s jerseys (for instance, your team only has a jersey of one color), please contact us before the tournament. Please bring both your home and away uniforms to each game, in case any problems arise.

Game Play Specifics:

Girls’ Tournament Format: The tournament format will include 38 teams playing in eight divisions. All teams will play three games.

Boys’ Tournament Format: The tournament format will include 76 teams playing in thirteen divisions. All teams will play three games.

AGE ELIGIBILITY: A student-athlete shall be ineligible for participation upon attaining the age of nineteen years, with the following exception: if the age of 19 is attained on or after July 1 preceding the current school year, the student-athlete shall be eligible, age-wise, to compete through that school year.

Game play and other matters will generally follow NFHS rules. If you have any questions regarding game play or any other matters concerning this tournament, please contact NCSAA in advance of your arrival at the tournament, and / or discuss those matters with the tournament officials before you play. Thanks so much!

Mercy Rule – A running clock shall be used in the second half of games when the differential in score grows to 40 points or more. The clock shall continue to operate in standard fashion if a 40-point advantage is reached in the first half. When the mercy rule is in place, the clock will still stop for free throws and time-outs, as well as for regular stoppages during the the final minute of the game.

Thursday Evening Skills Contests and Devotions:

On Thursday evening (beginning at 8:00 PM), we will hold a a Point Guard Challenge (divisions for both girls and boys) and a Three-Point Competition (divisions for both girls and boys).

Coaches will have the opportunity to register their players to participate in these contests at the Coaches' Meeting and throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday.

That evening will also feature a time of devotional challenge (featuring NCSAA chaplain, Micah Ramsey, as the speaker) -- before the contests begin. Please plan to join us for a great evening of fun and fellowship on Thursday!

Closing Ceremonies and Awards:

A short closing ceremony will be held at your court, following your team's final game in the tournament. Please plan to stay for that ceremony, if possible.

The first-place and second-place teams in each division will receive NCSAA championship and runner-up banners, and there will also be a prize for the winners of the consolation brackets.

This ceremony will also include a special recognition of and prayer for all senior athletes. A special gift from NCSAA will be presented to your team's senior players (if your roster was submitted on time).

All-tournament team awards are also available for your coaches to present to the top performers on their teams. Coaches will use the all-tournament selection sheet enclosed in their coaches' packets to select all-tournament players from their teams. Coaches, please be sure to return this sheet to us at the end of the tournament, so that we can provide you with all-tournament awards for your players -- and so that we can publish your team's all-tournament selections online and in the post-tournament report sent to college coaches.

NCSAA Coaches’ Award:

The NCSAA Coaches' Award will be presented to players throughout the tournament. These awards will be given by the coaches of the participating teams, as a way to recognize and encourage athletes who demonstrate noteworthy effort, leadership, encouragement, integrity, humility, courage, grace, and other qualities of Biblical discipline in their play. This program allows us to encourage coaches to be intentional in “building into the lives” of the players who are competing in the event.

Admission:

There is no admission fee at this tournament. We welcome your fans to attend and support the teams!

Team Devotions:

Micah Ramsey (NCSAA chaplain) will be the speaker at a time of team devotions (on Thursday at 8:00 PM, at Ariel Arena, before the skills contests). We encourage your team to join us for this important time of fellowship, fun, and spiritual challenge! This is a significant part of the NCSAA tournament experience -- so, coaches, please bring your teams to this evening event.

Tournament T-Shirts:

Official 2025 NCSAA Basketball Championships T-shirts are being sold via a pre-order sale before the tournament. If your team orders t-shirts, we'll have those available for pick-up at the registration table when you arrive. (Your athletic director will have received information, by e-mail, about how to pre-order tournament t-shirts.)

College Recruiting Exposure:

Many college coaches and recruiters have been invited to attend the tournament, and each year various coaches choose to attend the event.

After the event, a tournament report (including tournament results and all-tournament team selections) will be distributed to college coaches across the country.

Facility Host:

Mount Vernon Nazarene University has generously agreed to host this NCSAA tournament. Please encourage your team to be mindful of the college's generosity in the way that you treat their facilities; we want to be excellent stewards of the gymnasiums and the entire campus (as well as the gyms at Energy Fieldhouse, Gilead Christian School, and Genoa Christian Academy -- where we will also play games). Thank you!

There will be no use of locker rooms and showers during the tournament. Please make plans to meet before and after your games in another area in the building, and during halftime at your bench area. The showers will not be available to teams at all this week, so please make other plans in that regard. Thanks for your understanding!

Lodging and Meals:

If you have not yet made your lodging arrangements and need some assistance finding a local hotel, you can use our hotels list for the Mount Vernon area by CLICKING HERE .

There are a variety of other hotels / motels that you could find on your own, too -- but this is our attempt to give you some help getting started. (Also, many teams have found it less expensive and more convenient to rent an AirBNB or VRBO house during their time at the tournament -- and there are many such possibilities in the area.)

Some additional recommended lodging options (for those interested):

Quality Inn Bellville
1000 Comfort Plaza Drive
Bellville, OH 44813
419-886-7000

You will be given (when you arrive, as part of your coach's packet) a list of suggested restaurants in the Mount Vernon area. There will also be a very nice concession stand, which will include a number of meal-type food options, available at the gym throughout the tournament.

Some restaurants (and local attractions) that we specifically recommend:

Burrata Woodfired
669 N. Sandusky Street
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
740-393-2004

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact NCSAA right away at 724-846-2764.

NCSAA Contact Numbers:

Office: 724-846-2764 (until 4:30 PM on Monday, March 3)

Tournament Cell Phone: 724-494-0110 (only from Tuesday, March 4, through Saturday, March 8)

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