KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the teams and bracket for the 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship First Round presented by Ballogy. The 64-team bracket will begin with the first and second rounds at host sites nationwide on March 14-15. For the 11th consecutive year, the Marian women's basketball team has been announced as a qualifier for the NAIA National Tournament. 

The 2025 NAIA second round winners will meet in Sioux City, Iowa, at the NAIA National Championship final site presented by Bomgaars and Sterling. The 44th annual championship occurs at the Tyson Events Center from March 20-25.

This year's First Round field includes 35 automatic qualifiers and 29 at-large selections. Automatic berths were given to teams that either won their respective conference tournament title or regular season championship, finished runner-up at the conference tournament or were otherwise selected by the conference. The NAIA Women's Basketball National Selection Committee determined the at-large bids. The selection committee consists of one representative from each geographical area and six at-large members comprised of coaches and administrators from around the country.

For the fifth consecutive year since the tournament expanded, the Marian women's basketball team has been named as a host site for the First and Second Round. Marian is 7-0 all-time in these games, having advanced to Sioux City on each occasion. For the first time, Marian will be seeded on the three-line, and are the No. 3 seed in the Naismith Quadrant.

MARIAN PROFILE
The Knights will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming bracket, and are in the NAIA National Tournament for the 12th time in program history. Marian earned an automatic bid as the runner-up in the Crossroads League Tournament, and enter the tournament with a 24-7 overall record. The Knights are undefeated all-time in the NAIA First and Second Round with their 7-0 record, and boast both the Crossroads League Player and Defensive Player of the Year, both of whom happen to be Abbey McNally, the program's single season rebound record holder. Marian is one of four teams in the field with a previous NAIA National Championship to their names, and are 23-8 overall in their program history on the final stage. 

OREGON TECH PROFILE
The Hustlin' Owls earned an at-large bid to the tournament, and are 23-7 overall this season. Oregon Tech is making their eighth NAIA Tournament appearance, and hold an overall record of 3-7. One of their three wins came against Marian in the 2019 NAIA DII Championship, where the Knights were upset by the Owls 63-50. Oregon Tech is led by their three first team all-conference members Gabbie Gascon, Tatum Schmerbach, and Jozie Ramos. Oregon Tech is a six-seed in the Naismith Bracket

MILLIGAN PROFILE
The Milligan College Buffs will come to Indianapolis as an automatic qualifier, as they won both the Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Milligan holds a record of 24-7 and was receiving votes in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll of the season. The Buffs are in the NAIA Tournament for the 10th time in their program history, holding a 2-9 record in the national tournament. The trio of Jaycie Jenkins, Semaj Clark and Lauren Longmire were awarded All-AAC First-Team for Milligan, with Jenkins headlining the group as a 20-point per game scorer. Milligan is the No. 11 seed in the Naismith Bracket.

SAINT XAVIER PROFILE
The Saint Xavier Cougars are a familiar name to the campus of Marian, as the Chicagoland school will make the short travel to Indianapolis as the No. 14 seed. The Cougars were an at-large to the field of 64, going 18-11 to date this season. The Cougars last qualified for the tournament in 2022, and are making their 21st appearance overall, as they have an 18-18 record in the NAIA Championship. Marian and St. Xavier have played previously this season with the Knights winning 78-59, while the two sides have also met in the NAIA Tournament before. Marian won their only other NAIA Championship matchup in 2017 on their path to the NAIA DII Championship, defeating the Cougars 66-52 in the national semifinals. 

Tickets will go on sale by Monday, March 10. More information and links to live streaming, stats, and matchups will come in the coming days. All games will be streamed pay-per-view on the ISC Sports Network on both Friday and Saturday. Marian will take on Saint Xavier to open the NAIA Tournament First Round in Indianapolis, with tip slated for 5:00 p.m. Oregon Tech and Milligan will play at 7:15 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one, and the NAIA Tournament Second Round is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday March 15.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.