PREVIEW: 2026 NACIA Basketball Championships

Five Towns College will host the inaugural NACIA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Conference Championships from Friday, February 20 through Sunday, February 22, bringing the conference’s top teams to the Sound Arena in Dix Hills, New York for a three-day title showdown.

The tournament showcases the top teams from both divisions competing for conference championships and automatic bids to USCAA Division I National Championship. The seeding process uses regular-season conference results to create an exciting competition.

“NACIA is thrilled to bring our premier basketball tournaments to Five Towns College,” NACIA Director of Communications Sean Kammerer said. “The facilities together with their location and dedicated campus community create an ideal environment to display the outstanding achievements of our student-athletes.”

For those unable to attend the games in person, every matchup will be streamed live on the NACIA Network, produced by students in the Five Towns College Mass Communications division.

Here’s a preview of the tournament’s five games:

Women’s Championship

Semifinals

The women’s semifinal kicks off the NACIA tournament on Friday, February 20 at 3:00 pm, with the #2  Berkeley College Knights facing the #3 Five Towns College Sound.  The Knights beat the Sound both times they met this season. Berkeley won by a score of 61-54 in January and 66-55 in February.  These longtime conference rivals are sure to put on a good show.

Players to watch:  Ariella Johnson (Berkeley),  Raine Mears (Five Towns)

Final

Whoever wins the semifinal will move on to the championship game against #1 Bloomfield College of Montclair State University on Saturday at 5:30 PM. Both Berkeley and Five Towns lost all of their matchups against Bloomfield during the regular season.

The Bloomfield College Bears  posted a 16-5 overall record this year, going a perfect 14-0 in conference. Nia Mallette leads the team with 22.2 PPG.

Men’s Championship

Semifinal 1:

The men’s semifinals games start on Saturday, February 21 at 1:00pm. The first game will see #1 Bloomfield College against #4 Bryant and Stratton College Albany. The two teams share a competitive history, facing each other twice during the regular season.

The first game was played on December 9, where BSC Albany won 93-91. The second game on January 8 was just as close, with Bloomfield winning 110-108. Though both head-to-head matchups have been close, Bloomfield is higher in the standings, with a win-loss record of 12-3, while BSC Albany has a record of 5-9.

Players to watch: Zamorian Singleton (Bloomfield), Zay Little (BSC Albany)

Semifinal 2:

The second semifinals game is slated to start at 3:30 PM when #2 Bryant & Stratton College Syracuse takes on #3 Berkely College. BSC Syracuse beat Berkeley both times the teams met this season by similar margins.  BSC Syracuse won 94-83 in December and 98-82 in January.

Players to watch:    Matthew Cleveland (BSC Syracuse),  Deontay Sprattley (Berkeley)

Final:

The Men’s Championship game will played on Sunday, February 22 at 1 PM.

3-Day Live Televised Production of 5 Games

Five Towns College’s Broadcasting Club is leading this major live broadcasting event, from Friday’s tip-off to Sunday’s final buzzer.  Student hosts will provide play-by-play, commentary, and live interviews, giving in-person and at-home fans full access to the tournament.  FTC’s TV lab classes are producing halftime shows for both the men’s and women’s championship games.  

“A lot of work is being done behind the scenes, I can’t wait to see how it comes out,” said James Suckle,  student director of the broadcast.   

This year’s broadcast will have a new look from previous years. In addition to live graphics and 3D visuals designed by James Suckle, Five Towns Audio students produced an original music track for the event.  Prince Taragi, Miles Katz, Dylan Collado, Sean Cataldo, Mike Fioravanti, and Tommy Wolowitz have been working hard in the studio to add their impact to this production.

About the NACIA Conference and USCAA

The North American Conference for Intercollegiate Athletics, also known as the NACIA, was formed in April 2025 by the USCAA, an organization that allows small colleges to compete in national athletic competitions.

The original teams in the NACIA’s initial formation included the Bryant & Stratton campuses of Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, and Rochester, Berkeley College, Five Towns College, and Villa Maria College, with Bloomfield College of Montclair State University joining later.

The NACIA is looking to both highlight student athletes in the participating colleges and to expand the goals of the USCAA’s goal of hosting athletic tournaments for small universities. Commenting on the NACIA, Five Towns College President Dr. David M. Cohen said, “We look forward to expanding the number of sports, teams, and intercollegiate opportunities available to our student athletes. We also invite other institutions of higher education seeking a new home for their athletic programs to explore membership in the NACIA.”

Sheila Wooten, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University’s Deputy Director of Athletics, talked about her college’s decision to join the conference.

To watch the NACIA Championship games, go to the NACIA Network.

Be sure to follow @FTCMassComm on Instagram for tournament info and behind-the-scenes action.

Writing and reporting by:  Samuel Clopper, Grace Bonamico, Stephen Cooney, Jesse Gaynor, Logan Ashton, Daniel Garcia, Jason LoShiavo,  James Suckle