Talladega College to play for the NAIA Basketball National Championship

Who says the state of Alabama isn’t a basketball state? Tell that to Talladega College.

The small HBCU—45 miles outside Birmingham with an enrollment over 1150 students—is playing for the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship on Tuesday night (March 22) in Kansas City.

Game Time and Where to Watch

The No. 2 seed Talladega Tornadoes (32-5) will face off against No. 1 seed Loyola (La.) (35-1) at 8pm EST/7pm CDT on ESPN 3.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season on the hardwood; Loyola has won all three meetings so far this season.

What is the NAIA Basketball Tournament

Here is a trivia question. Who established the NAIA Basketball National Championship? Answer? The very inventor of the game! James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, established the NAIA Basketball National Championship in 1937 to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities.

Talladega has never won a NAIA men’s basketball national championship, while their opponent Loyola (La.) hasn’t won a title since 1945. 

Over  252 colleges participate in the NAIA. The NAIA was also the first intercollegiate postseason tournament to feature a Black student-athletes, 

Birmingham Southern College is the only Alabama college to win the NAIA, and that was back in 1995. The Panthers on the Hilltop also won the title in 1990.

We’ll be watching and cheering for Talladega College on  ESPN 3 tonight! Tag us @Thebamabuzz on social media during the game.