2025 NIRSA National Basketball Championships tournament recap
The 2025 NIRSA National Basketball Championships brought an exciting conclusion to the year, with a thrilling tournament in Wisconsin! In collaboration with the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the NIRSA Championship Series proudly welcomed 69 teams from across the nation. These teams competed in three divisions for the title of 2025 NIRSA Basketball National Champions.
Games were held across two premier facilities on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus: the Bakke Recreation Center and the Nicholas Recreation Center. This year’s tournament featured an exciting addition: a consolation bracket that gave teams more opportunities to compete, along with Championship Sunday games that delivered an unforgettable atmosphere for players and fans alike.
Unified Division
This year marked the first time since pre-pandemic years that nine Unified teams participated, setting the stage for a highly competitive and exciting tournament. The championship game featured a thrilling matchup between the University of Iowa and the University of Toledo.
The University of Iowa entered bracket play with momentum, finishing pool play undefeated (3-0) and securing a hard-fought 39–31 victory over the University of Mississippi in the opening round. Meanwhile, the University of Toledo also went 3-0 in pool play, dominating their early opponents with a winning margin of at least 20 points in each game.
The championship game did not disappoint, delivering an intense battle between two talented squads. In the end, the University of Toledo proved too strong, securing the Unified Division title with a 49–35 victory.
Women’s Division
As women’s sports continue to grow nationwide—from youth leagues to adult programs—the collegiate recreation and club level has seen rapid and exciting expansion. This year’s NIRSA National Basketball Championships tournament showcased that growth, with top-tier women’s club teams from across the country joining the competition and many teams bringing a strong community of supporters with them.
The championship matchup between James Madison University and the hosts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison proved to be one of the most thrilling in NIRSA Championship Series history. James Madison entered bracket play with just one narrow loss in pool play—a 37–38 nailbiter against perennial powerhouse Grand Canyon University, who has claimed the national title multiple times in recent years. Undeterred, JMU pushed through the bracket with impressive wins over the University of Miami, the University of Virginia, and the defending national champions the University of South Carolina.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison also demonstrated its strength throughout the tournament, continuing the momentum they built during their Regional tournament play. In a notable semifinal showdown, their top team had to face and defeat their second squad to secure a spot in the final.
The Championship Game was a high-energy, back-and-forth battle that had fans on the edge of their seats and ultimately the contest went into overtime. Both teams played with heart, intensity, and skill—but when the final buzzer sounded, it was the hometown team from the University of Wisconsin–Madison who emerged victorious, claiming the national title with a 56-point performance.
Men’s Division
This year’s National Basketball Championships tournament for the Men’s Club Division may go down as the March Madness of collegiate recreation! With 37 extremely talented teams from across the country competing for the top spot, it certainly had all the hallmarks of the Big Dance—buzzer-beaters, high-intensity matchups, and standout performances. Teams brought a variety of strengths to the court: lightning-fast transition play, dominant post players, and creative sets that kept fans and opponents guessing. It quickly became clear, however, that a few programs had what it took to chase the national title.
This year’s championship game featured a fierce matchup between Penn State University and the University of Wisconsin–Red. Wisconsin–Red opened strong in pool play, suffering just one narrow loss to the University of Oregon (56–57); but the team showed resilience and determination throughout bracket play. Their semifinal victory over defending champions Grand Canyon University—by an impressive 15-point margin—proved they were ready for their title shot in 2025.
Penn State entered the bracket with confidence after going undefeated in pool play, winning each game by a significant margin. Their biggest test came in the second round of bracket play, when they came up against Emporia State, a team that had recently dominated at the University of Nebraska Regional. But Penn State prevailed with a 56–45 win and kept their momentum rolling into the final.
In the Championship Game, Penn State left everything on the court. With explosive drives, precise mid-range shooting, and relentless defense, they steadily widened the gap on the scoreboard. When the final buzzer sounded, Penn State stood tall as the Men’s Division National Champions, finishing with a 64–46 victory.
Positive sporting behavior awards
Winning the positive sporting behavior awards were:
- University of Michigan in the Unified Division
- Georgia Tech in the Women’s Division
- Penn State University in the Men’s Division
All schools should be commended for adhering to the most integral component of intercollegiate competition: positive sporting behavior.
Thank you!
A special thanks go out to all our student officials. Their contributions are essential to the success of the tournament experience. Congratulations to all on a fantastic tournament and especially to our All-American officials!
- Josh Aldinor, University of Arizona
- Ryan Brettelle, University of Missouri, Columbia
- Travis Emory, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
- Patrick Garcia, University of Florida
- Amari Harrington, University of Maryland – College Park
- Maddie Hickey, Loyola University Maryland
- Zyterrious Hudson, Georgia Southern University
- Maddy Majors, University of Missouri, Columbia
- Isabella Price, University of Central Florida
- Joshua Schmidt, Kansas State University
- Regan Shaffer, University of Missouri, Columbia
- John Smith, University of Missouri, Columbia
A huge thank you to the tournament staff for their dedicated support throughout the competition! NIRSA relies on incredible and generous volunteers from across the country to deliver top-notch tournaments and create unforgettable experiences for our student participants and officials. NIRSA couldn’t do it without the support of these amazing volunteers!
NIRSA Tournament Committee
- Chris Berger
- Stephanie Calhoun
- Lauren Carlson
- LeAnne Davis
- Bailey Kenney
- Talyn Sands
Tournament Experience Committee
- Melina Campbell
- Cait Carney
- Calvin Diggs
- Lindsey Englehart
- Scott Flickinger
- James Hinson
- Heath Howard
- Clayton Hufford
- Jacob Jones
- Jerrell Kelly
- Noah Mass,
- Adam Minnick
- Alex Pendar
- Christian Ramirez
- Colton Spaur
- Yadira Soto
- Chris Spencer
- Tylar Tidwell
- Daniel Wrenholt
Competition Committee
- Lane Goodwin
- Wyatt Lee
Officials Committee
- Fauz Adeyinka
- Brandon Bermea
- Daniel Chandler
- Nathan Ha
- Emilee Howard
- Josh Knull
- Zach Kula
- Justin Paluch
- Fernie Perez
- Kris Pullam
- Klee Sellers
- Lucas Smith
- Michael Thomas
- Quincy Smith
- Connor VanOverburghe
- Eric Vaughn
- Hannah Williams
- Tyler Zorn
Media Committee
- Chris Baunoch
- Katelyn Gil
- Dean Morgan
- Nikki Vance
Unified Committee
- RJ Nealon
- Laura Shively
- Courtney Smith
A special thanks go out to University of Wisconsin – Madison for their outstanding contributions to a great tournament!
Thanks to our sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors JC2 Officials, ETA Officials Camp, and RQ+ for their involvement at the National Flag Football Championship Series Tournaments. A special thanks to the sponsors who provided food to our officials and volunteer staff throughout the tournament including TnT’s Catering, Oliv – Madison, Ian’s Pizza, Forage, and Milo’s Sandwiches.
Congratulations to all the teams, officials, and staff for making the tournament experience a wonderful one. We hope to see everyone next year at the 2026 NIRSA National Basketball Championships, happening April 16-19 again in Madison!