1976 NCAA Division III basketball tournament

The 1976 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was the second annual single-elimination tournament to determine the men's collegiate basketball national champion of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III, held during March 1976.

1976 NCAA Division III
basketball tournament

Teams	28
Finals site	Reading, Pennsylvania
Champions	Scranton Royals (1st title)
Runner-up	Wittenberg Tigers (1st title game)
Semifinalists	Augustana (IL) Vikings (2nd Final Four) Plattsburgh State Cardinals (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Bob Bessoir (Scranton)
MOP	Jack Maher (Scranton)
Attendance	4,000 (Championship game)
NCAA Division III men's tournaments «1975 1977»

The tournament field included 28 teams, a decrease of two from 1975, and the national championship rounds were contested in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Scranton defeated Wittenberg, 60–57 (in overtime), to win their first national championship.

Bracket

Regionals

	First round					Regional Championship
	Rhode Island College		87
	UMass Boston		65
						Rhode Island College		89
						SE Massachusetts		87
	SE Massachusetts		79
	Suffolk		76			Regional Third-place
						UMass Boston		108
						Suffolk		101

	First round					Regional Championship
	Plattsburgh State		68
	RPI		65
						Plattsburgh State		83
						CCNY		81
	CCNY		94
	RIT		69			Regional Third-place
						RPI		74
						RIT		81

	First round					Regional Championship
	Wittenberg		88
	Oberlin		66
						Wittenberg		61
						Ashland		49
	Ashland		75
	Hiram		74			Regional Third-place
						Oberlin		80
						Hiram		77

	First round					Regional Championship
	Miles		79
	Sewanee		71
						Miles		87
						Transylvania		85
	Transylvania		112
	LeMoyne–Owen		92			Regional Third-place
						Sewanee		86
						LeMoyne–Owen		73

	First round					Regional Championship
	Widener		65
	Mansfield State		54
						Scranton		70
						Widener		65
	Scranton		68
	Grove City		45			Regional Third-place
						Mansfield State		73
						Grove City		59

	First round					Regional Championship
	Shepherd		77
	Glassboro State		62
						Shepherd		79
						Monmouth		71
	Monmouth		97
	Lynchburg		73			Regional Third-place
						Glassboro State		82
						Lynchburg		62

	First round					Regional Championship
	Augustana (IL)		83
	Cornell College		77
						Augustana (IL)		79
						Coe		70
	Coe		70
	Simpson		62			Regional Third-place
						Cornell College		88
						Simpson		96

National finals

• Site: Reading, Pennsylvania

	National quarterfinals					National semifinals					National championship
	Rhode Island College		80
	Plattsburgh State		91
						Plattsburgh State		58
						Wittenberg		71
	Wittenberg		101
	Miles		75
											Wittenberg		57
											Scranton		60*
	Scranton		94
	Shepherd		78
						Scranton		76			National third-place game
						Augustana (IL)		65
											Plattsburgh State		69
											Augustana (IL)		93

See also

• 1976 NCAA Division I basketball tournament
• 1976 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
• 1976 NAIA basketball tournament