| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri | ||||
| Champions | Central Missouri State (2nd title, 2nd title game, 2nd Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | Roanoke (1st title game, 1st Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| |||||
The 1938 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The second annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]
This was the first tournament to expand to 32 teams. The tournament featured the only forfeit in tournament history when Western Kentucky forfeited to Simpson due to not showing up. The first-round game between Delta State University (Miss.) and Drury gave the first overtime in tournament history. Delta State beat Drury College 52–51 in one overtime.
The championship game featured Central Missouri State defending their first national championship over Roanoke, making them the first team to win back-to-back titles. It would be the last year without a Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award.[2]