NAIA District 19 Men's Basketball

NAIA District 19 originally consisted of NAIA schools in Mississippi and Alabama. When the NAIA began allowing black colleges to compete in the national tournament, the state of Mississippi disallowed their schools from participating, but the Alabama schools continued. In 1965, coinciding with the reassignment of District 18 to Western Pennsylvania, the schools, along with those from Louisiana were reassigned to District 27, which had been vacated by the Tennessee schools being merged into District 24. Thus, District 19 was reassigned to Eastern Pennsylvania, which along with Western Pennsylvania had previously constituted District 30. By 1969, District 19's footprint had extended into Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and this remained the district's assignment until 1983 when Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, were moved to District 29. This only lasted a year, when Maryland and the District of Columbia were returned to this district, and the resulting footprint remained until the end of the district system.

When the NAIA split into divisions in 1992, all Division II schools in District 19 and District 18 were assigned to District 19, while all Division I schools in District 19, District 18, and District 31 were merged into District 18,

Primary sources for information on this district include the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Reading Eagle for the Pennsylvania era, and the Gadsden Times, Florence Times Daily, and Tuscaloosa News for the Mississippi/Alabama period.

Formats

1951-56; 1969-78: Four-team playoff.

1957: No playoff. Troy State was chosen to represent district.

1958-59: Two-team playoff, with 1959 being a best-of-three series.

1979-88?: Six-team playoff.

Other formats to be added later, especially the later years.

District Champions

1951	Memphis State†‡	1966	Millersville†	1981	Norfolk State (2)
1952	Mississippi Southern‡	1967	Millersville (2)	1982	Hampton (3)
1953	Mississippi Southern (2)	1968	Millersville (3)	1983	Lincoln (PA)
1954	Mississippi Southern (3)	1969	Maryland State†‡	1984	Cabrini
1955	Mississippi Southern (4)	1970	Maryland State (2)	1985	Cabrini (2)
1956	Delta State±	1971	Mansfield (2)	1986	Cabrini (3)
1957	Troy State	1972	Maryland-Eastern Shore (3)	1987	Cabrini (4)
1958	Troy State (2)	1973	Maryland-Eastern Shore (4)	1988	Eastern
1959	Troy State (3)	1974	Millersville (4)	1989	Holy Family
1960	Florence State‡	1975	Millersville (5)	1990	Philadelphia Pharmacy‡
1961	Saint Bernard‡	1976	Coppin State	1991	Holy Family (2)
1962	Florence State (2)	1977	Spring Garden	1992 I	unassigned
1963	Athens†‡	1978	Hampton	1992 II	Philadelphia Pharmacy (2)
1964	Huntingdon	1979	Norfolk State†	1993 I	unassigned
1965	Mansfield†	1980	Hampton (2)	1993 II	Wilmington (DE)

± - In 1956, Delta State won the district playoff, but was not allowed to participate in the NAIA tournament due to state policy regarding interracial athletic competition.

† - Memphis State won the District 27 title in 1952. Athens later won four District 27 titles. Mansfield previously won the 1964 District 30 title. Millersville previously won the 1957 District 30 title. Maryland State had previously won three District 31 titles. Norfolk State had previously won three District 29 titles when that district was assigned to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion or runner-up.

‡ - Memphis State is now known simply as Memphis. Mississippi Southern is now known as Southern Mississippi. Florence State is now known as North Alabama. Saint Bernard was later known as Southern Benedictine. Athens is now known as Athens State. Maryland State became Maryland-Eastern Shore. Philadelphia Pharmacy is now known as University of the Sciences.

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