The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced it will extend championship agreements for seven of its championship host sites affected this past year by COVID-19.
The extensions were announced to assist further the relationship between the NAIA and its host cities. Women’s basketball (Sioux City, Iowa), women’s wrestling (University of Jamestown, Jamestown, N.D.), men’s and women’s bowling (Lawrence Tech University, Sterling Heights, Mich.), men’s and women’s tennis (Mobile, Ala.), baseball (Lewis-Clark State, Lewiston, Idaho), outdoor track and field (Gulf Shores, Ala.) and men’s golf (Mesa, Ariz.) came to an agreement on a one-year extension.
Of these sites, Lewiston, Idaho has second-longest run of consecutive championships hosted with the NAIA Baseball World Series (since 2000). “LC State is excited for the opportunity to host through 2025,” mentioned Brooke Henze, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) Athletics Director and World Series Tournament Director. Through the years, Henze has been at the forefront of one of the most successful championships in the NAIA. Sioux City, Iowa holds the distinction of the longest-consecutive championships hosted of the group as the host of the NAIA DII Women's Basketball National Championship since 1998.
”Our host sites put in a tremendous amount of work executing NAIA championships and we value their dedication,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “Extending their host contracts an additional year is an effort to negate any impacts from the unforeseen cancellations last winter and spring due to COVID-19.”
Below is a full list of championships and hosts and the year that was added to their existing agreement.
Championship/Invitational | Host Site | Host Location | Host | Add'l Year Added |
Women's Basketball | Tyson Events Center | Sioux City, Iowa | Sioux City | 2025 |
Women's Wrestling | Harold Newman Arena | Jamestown, N.D. | University of Jamestown | 2022 |
Men's and Women's Bowling | Five Star Lanes | Sterling Heights, Mich. | Lawrence Technological University | 2022 |
Men's and Women's Tennis | Mobile Tennis Center | Mobile, Ala. | Mobile Area Tennis Association | 2024 |
Baseball | Harris Field | Lewiston, Idaho | Lewis-Clark State College | 2024 |
Outdoor Track and Field | Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium | Gulf Shores, Ala. | Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission | 2022 |
Men's Golf | Las Sendas Golf Club | Mesa, Ariz. | Benedictine University at Mesa | 2023 |
ABOUT NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS (NAIA) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 77,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $800 million in scholarships and compete in 27 national championships. www.naia.org | @NAIA
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