KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the 64-team field and pairings for the 2024 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship. The tournament will begin with the 2024 NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, on March 15 at host sites throughout the country.

Marian has been tabbed as the No. 10 seed in the Liston Quadrant, entering the NAIA Tournament as an at-large team. This is Marian's seventh consecutive season qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament. Marian will play at the University of the Cumberlands, who will host as the No. 2 seed in the quadrant. 

The 16 winners at each of these sites will advance to the 2024 NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo., at the 86th annual NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship, March 21-26. 

The field consists of 36 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular season champions, regular season runners-up, tournament champions, or tournament runners-up, depending on the league. The number teams in each league determines the number of automatic bids in each conference. Leagues with 10 or more schools receive two automatic berths, while conferences with less than 10 institutions receive one. At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Men's Basketball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, the past president of the NAIA-Men's Basketball Coaches Association and four at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.

Marian, led by All-Crossroads League performers Gus Etchison, Brody Whitaker, and Maximus Gizzi, are the 10 seed and enter the NAIA Tournament with a 23-7 overall record. This is Marian's 11th overall appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. The Knights will match up with No. 7 seed Florida College, who enter the NAIA First Round with a 27-4 overall record. Florida College is in the NAIA Tournament for the third time in program history, and earned an automatic bid as the winner of the Continental Conference Tournament.

The University of the Cumberlands is the host and No. 2 seed in the quadrant, earning an at-large bid in the field out of the Mid-South Conference. The Cumberlands are in the NAIA Tournament for the 31st time in program history, and have a record of 17-29 in the NAIA Tournament. They will take on Philander Smith, who will be the No. 15 seed in the NAIA Tournament Liston Quadrant, who qualified as the Gulf Coast Tournament Championship. Philander Smith has an overall record of 21-8, and are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2015. 

More information will be released in the coming days on Marian's NAIA Tournament Appearance in the First Round in Williamsburg, Ky.

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