NAIA District 5 Men's Basketball

NAIA District 5 originally consisted of NAIA schools in Montana and Idaho. In 1968, the Idaho schools were reassigned to District 2 with the Oregon schools, and in 1974 the Montana schools were shifted to District 12 to join the Dakota schools. The district was unassigned for one year, before its designation was shifted to what was at the time District 32N (northern New England), A year later, District 32 in southern New England was merged with this district. This configuration remained until the abolition of district qualification.

In 1973 only, District 5 champion Eastern Montana defeated District 1 champion Alaska-Fairbanks in a bi-district game to determine a single representative to the NAIA tournament.

When the NAIA split into divisions in 1992, the entire district participated in Division II.

Primary sources for information on this district during the New England era include the Lewiston Sun-Journal and the Bangor Daily News. There is no primary source for the Montana/Idaho era.

Formats

Montana and Idaho Era

Formats to be added later

New England Era

1975; Six-team playoff.

1976-93: Eight-team playoff, split into two four-team groupings. The winners crossed over to play a team from the opposite zone in the semifinals.

District Champions

1951	Montana State!	1966	Carroll (MT)	1981	Franklin Pierce (2)
1952	Montana State (2)	1967	Eastern Montana (4)	1982	Franklin Pierce (3)
1953	Ricks	1968	Eastern Montana (5)	1983	Husson (3)
1954	Montana State (2)	1969	Western Montana (4)	1984	Franklin Pierce (4)
1955	Montana State (3)	1970	Eastern Montana (6)	1985	Castleton State
1956	Montana State (4)	1971	Great Falls	1986	Franklin Pierce (5)
1957	Northwest Nazarene†	1972	Eastern Montana (7)	1987	Saint Joseph's (ME)
1958	Western Montana†‡	1973	Eastern Montana (8)	1988	Franklin Pierce (6)
1959	Western Montana (2)	1974	unassigned	1989	Husson (4)
1960	College of Idaho†	1975	Husson	1990	Husson (5)
1961	Western Montana (3)	1976	Husson (2)	1991	Maine-Machias
1962	College of Idaho (2)	1977	Keene State†	1992 I	unassigned
1963	Eastern Montana†‡	1978	Maine-Portland/Gorham‡	1992 II	Saint Joseph's (ME) (2)
1964	Eastern Montana (2)	1979	Southern Maine (2)	1993 I	unassigned
1965	Eastern Montana (3)	1980	Franklin Pierce	1993 II	Saint Joseph's (ME) (3)

† - Northwest Nazarene also won the District 2 title in 1992. Western Montana also won the District 12 title in 1989. College of Idaho won the District 2 title on six occasions after being reassigned. Eastern Montana won three District 12 titles after being moved. Keene State won both District 32N championships before that district was redesignated as District 5.

‡ - Western Montana is now known as Montana-Western. Eastern Montana is now known as Montana State-Billings. Maine-Portland/Gorham became Southern Maine.

! - Montana State chose to play in the 1951 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and its spot in the NAIA tournament was given to Rocky Mountain, the runnerup.

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