For Immediate Release
Saturday, February 17, 2018
NSIC Media Relations
Printable PDF Bracket
Championship Website

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The 2018 NSIC / Sanford Health Men's Basketball Tournament bracket has been released as the 22-game regular season ended Saturday night.  Northern State (20-2) won the NSIC Overall and North Division Titles and will be the top seed in the north division.  Southwest Minnesota State (17-5) won its second straight NSIC South Division title and will be the top seed in the south. 
 
In the north division, Minnesota Duluth (7-15) earned the fifth seed over Minnesota Crookston (7-15) via divisional records (teams split during regular season). 
 
In the south division, Sioux Falls (14-8) earned the third seed over Winona State (14-8).  The two teams split during the regular season and split contests with SMSU and MSU.  Sioux Falls swept Augustana during the regular season while Winona State split with Augustana, giving USF the higher seed. Augustana (10-12) earned the fifth seed in the south over Upper Iowa (10-12) via divisional record (teams split during regular season). 

Bemidji State (9-13) is the fourth seed in the north division but will travel to the south’s fifth seed Augustana (10-12), as the Vikings own a better NSIC overall record.  A rule change in 2018 has the bracket seeded North/South as it has been in recent years, however, hosting rights for the first round of the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament goes to the team with the best overall conference record.
 
The first round of the tournament is set for Wednesday, February 21.  The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place on February 24, 26-27 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  All rounds of the NSIC/Sanford Health Men’s Basketball Tournament played at the Sanford Pentagon will to aired live on MidcoSN and streamed for free via Stretch Internet. 
 

Wed., Feb. 21 - First Round			Time^
(S8) Concordia-St. Paul	at	(N1) Northern State	8:00 PM
(N5) Minnesota Duluth	at	(S4) Winona State	7:00 PM
(N7) MSU Moorhead	at	(S2) Minnesota State	7:00 PM
(S6) Upper Iowa	at	(N3) Minot State	8:00 PM
(N8) UMary	at	(S1) SMSU	7:00 PM
(N4) Bemidji State	at	(S5) Augustana	8:00 PM
(S7) Wayne State	at	(N2) St. Cloud State	8:00 PM
(N6) Minnesota Crookston	at	(S3) Sioux Falls	8:00 PM

  ^All times subject to change