The NJCAA has 24 regions throughout the country. The National Tournament used to be a sixteen team, double elimination tournament, and 8 places were recognized. In order to reduce the 24 regions into 16 tournament spots, some of the smaller adjacent regions were involved in an inter-region playoff (the District Championship). The regions have changed many times over the lifetime of the tournament, but the primary goal was to try and keep the playing field level, at least with the number of teams each in District.
Since some of the Regions have a smaller number of teams than others, in order to make the structure more uniform, they are combined with other similarly sized, adjacent Regions, to form a District. As a result, the 24 Regions are reduced to 16 Districts. Each of the 16 District Champions receive automatic births in the National Tournament. The Districts are allowed to select their own format in determining their Champion. The 24 team National Championship also includes 8 national At-large teams as determined by the Championship Committee. All 24 teams are seeded, with the top 8 seeds receiving first round byes.
In 2019-20, eleven regions had playoffs with each other in order to be reduced into five Districts. The other 11 Regions were also the Districts, and did not have to playoff against another region.
Here were the District Breakdowns for 2019-2020:
- West (preciously District 1) – Regions 1 & 18 – 10 teams
- South Central (District 2) – Region 2 – 10 teams
- East (District 3) – Regions 15, 19 & 20 – 7 teams
- Midwest (District 4) – Regions 4 & 16 – 14 teams
- Southwest (District 5) – Region 5 – 17 teams
- Plains (District 6) – Region 6 – 15 teams
- Appalachian (District 7) – Region 7 – 10 teams
- South Atlantic (District 8) – Region 8 – 20 teams
- Northwest Plains (District 9) – Region 9 – 15 teams
- Atlantic (District 10) – Region 10 – 8 teams
- North Central (District 11) – Regions 11 & 13 – 12 teams
- South (District 12) – Region 22 – 16 teams
- Southeast (District 13) – Region 17 – 10 teams
- Mid-South (District 14 – Region 14 – 14 teams
- Gulf (District 15) – Region 23 – 19 teams
- Central (District 16) – Regions 12 & 24 – 11 teams
NEW DISTRICT FORMAT FOR 2021
Due to covid or other concerns, some programs have dropped out of Division 1 competition, or temporarily suspended operations of their men’s basketball programs. As a result, the NJCAA announced it has adjusted the District assignments for the 2021 season. Whether this will become permanent is yet to be determined, although the NJCAA is committed to keeping these assignments if things stay the same down the road. However, if any major participation changes occur in the future, further adjustments may be necessary.
For 2021, the East District (Regions 15, 19, 20) has been eliminated. Region 15 (lower NY) has two teams which are not participating in DI this season). Regions 19 (Eastern PA, DE, and NJ-1 team), and Region 20 (MD, W. PA, and WV panhandle-4 teams) have been moved to the Atlantic District, which used to include only Region 10 (SC, NC, VA and So. WV-8 teams). That District remains as the Atlantic District and will have 12 teams competing in its Championship.
District 1 (Regions 1 (AZ) and 18 (W. CO, NV, UT, and ID) has been divided into two separate Districts, each now with its own Champion and auto qualifier to the National Tournament. Region 1 is now the West District, with Region 18 becoming the Rocky Mountain District.
Here were the District breakdown for 2021:
- Appalachian – Region 7 (NC, SC, VA, and So. WV) 10 teams
- Atlantic – Regions 10 (NC, SC, VA, and So. WV), 19 (E. PA, DE, and NJ), and 20 (MD, W. PA, and No. WV) 12 teams
- Central – Region 24 (So. IL) 11 teams including Vincennes Univ., the only DI member of Region 12 (IN, OH, and lower MI), and competes in the Central District Championship.
- Gulf – Region 23 (MS & LA) 19 teams
- Midwest – Regions 4 (No. IL & NE Neb) and 16 (MO) 14 teams
- Mid-South – Region 14 (W. TX and NM) 14 teams
- North Central – Regions 11 (IA) and 13 (MN, ND, SD, Upper MI, E. MT, and No. WI) 10 teams
- Northwest Plains – Region 9 (NE, W. CO, WY, and W. MT) 13 teams
- Plains – Region 6 (KS) 15 teams
- South – Region 22 (AL) 16 teams
- South Central – Region 2 (OK) 10 teams
- South Atlantic – Region 8 (FL) 18 teams
- Southeast – Region 17 (GA) 9 teams
- Southwest – Region 5 (E. TX) 17 teams
- West – Region 1 (AZ) 6 teams
- Rocky Mountain- Region 18 (NV, ID, UT, and W. CO) 6 teams
After the Covid year, the District format returned to it’s previous structure with the West and Rocky Mountain combined into the West, and the Return of the East. Since 2022, here is what the District structure has looked like (the number of teams is shown for the 2023-24 season):
- West – Regions 1 & 18 – 12 teams
- South Central – Region 2 – 9 teams
- East – Regions 15, 19 & 20 – 6 teams
- Midwest – Regions 4 & 16 – 14 teams
- Southwest – Region 5 – 17 teams
- Plains – Region 6 – 13 teams
- Appalachian – Region 7 – 10 teams
- South Atlantic – Region 8 – 14 teams
- Northwest Plains – Region 9 – 14 teams
- Atlantic – Region 10 – 9 teams
- North Central – Regions 11 & 13 – 9 teams
- South – Region 22 – 8 teams
- Southeast – Region 17 – 9 teams
- Mid-South – Region 14 – 14 teams
- Gulf – Region 23 – 18 teams
- Central – Regions 12 & 24 – 9 teams