Fayetteville, NC – March 9, 2025 – Fayetteville State University's men's basketball team has been awarded an at-large bid in the NCAA Division II Post-Season Tournament. The Broncos will compete as the No. 4 Seed in the Atlantic Region, facing off against No. 5 Fairmont State in the first round.
 
The Broncos, under the leadership of CIAA Coach of the Year Luke D'Alessio, have had an impressive season with a record of 22-8 overall. Their performance has earned them a spot in the highly competitive NCAA tournament, where they will face some of the best teams in the nation.
 
"What a great night for the CIAA," said Coach D'Alessio. "An unbelievable, well earned three teams in the NCAA. Wow, that is tremendous for our conference. We played a really tough schedule all year. We did everything we were supposed to do to get to this point. To be the fourth seed in the NCAA Tournamentis a tremendous honor. We are looking forward to the opportunity. Our guys have worked hard, the staff has worked hard, and now we get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. That's a dream of everybody who has played basketball.

We are looking forward to and and will be ready to play."
 
The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, which began in 1957 as the NCAA College Division Basketball Championship, has a rich history of showcasing top-tier talent and thrilling competition. The tournament format includes 64 teams, with 23 automatic qualifiers from conference championships and 41 at-large bids determined by the selection committee based on various criteria, including win-loss records, strength of schedule, and performance against ranked teams.
 
The first round of the tournament will take place on March 15 at West Liberty University in West Virginia. The CIAA Champion Virginia State University received the No. 3 seed and runner-up Bluefield State is No. 8.
 
For more information on the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament and to stay updated on the Broncos' progress, visit www.fsubroncos.com and follow Fayetteville State Athletics on social media.
 
About Fayetteville State University: Fayetteville State University, a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina, is a historically black university offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. FSU is committed to providing quality education to its students and fostering a culture of excellence in academics and athletics.
  Historical Context
 
The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament has a storied history dating back to 1957 when it was known as the NCAA College Division Basketball Championship. The first national championship was won by Wheaton (Ill), who defeated Kentucky Wesleyan 89-65 in Evansville, Indiana. The tournament remained in Evansville until 1974, when Morgan State claimed the first official Division II basketball championship by defeating Missouri State 67-52. By 1982, the tournament had evolved to include both men's and women's sports, solidifying its place as a premier event in college basketball.
 
Tournament Structure
 
The tournament features 64 teams, divided into eight regions, each comprising automatic qualifiers from conference championships and at-large bids. The selection committee evaluates teams based on several criteria, including win-loss records, strength of schedule, and performance against ranked teams. The tournament begins with eight single-elimination regional tournaments, culminating in the DII Men's Elite Eight, where the remaining teams compete for the national championship.
 
For more details on the tournament structure and selection process, visit NCAA.com.