National Small College Basketball Championships come to Buffalo: Athletes from across the country converge on the Queen City

(March 5, 2025) – For the first time, student athletes from schools across the country will come to Buffalo for the small college basketball championships, March 10-15. As players from 34 schools and 10 states compete for Division 1 and 2 men’s and women’s titles, fans can watch top-level play – from the opening-day skills contest to a week of games for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association’s Basketball Small College National Championships. 

 “The athletes just have outstanding talent,” said B.J. Bertges, chief operating officer for the USCAA. “There's some very, very competitive programs out there … Over the course of five days, we're going to play 39 games of basketball. It's going to be long days, long nights, but there's no shortage of action, that's for sure.”

 This year will be the first of the championships’ two years in Buffalo. In spring of 2026, the tournament will return. The economic impact is considerable, said Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara. More than 800 players, coaches and staff will come and spend a projected $2.1 million each year, for a combined total of $4.2 million for both years. “This prestigious tournament attracts new visitors to come and enjoy all that Buffalo has to offer,” Kaler said. “They will stay in our hotels and take advantage of local offerings like the Buffalo Sabres hockey games, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, waterfront stops like RiverWorks and, of course, chicken wings!”

 Teams hailing from Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York will compete from Monday through Saturday next week. Day passes, $15, allow entry to games at both campuses, Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Athletic Center, 21 Oak St., and Villa Maria College Athletic Center, 240 Pine Ridge Road. A $40 pass is good for tournament games throughout the week. (Children under 12 are free when coming with a paying adult.) The USCAA Sports Network will livestream the games for free. For the schedule and details, check uscaachampionships.com.

The tournament is sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission and the two local schools that are part of the USCAA, Bryant & Stratton College and Villa Maria College. Having two member schools in Buffalo is a key advantage, said Bertges.

“It's no small task to take on championships of this size,” she said. “Anytime we get an opportunity to collaborate, we love the opportunity to do so … We exist to serve those small colleges who sometimes would get lost in the shuffle of a larger association.”

The tournament week starts off with a USCAA Skills Competition from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, March 10, at ECC’s Flickinger Center: Players will face a panel of judges, including Drew “Wing King” Cerza, founder of the Buffalo Wing Festival, as they showcase their expertise in fast-paced challenges with dunk shots, high jumps and scoring races.

During the week, most of the games will be held at the 2,700-seat arena at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center, built for the 1993 World University Games. Villa Maria College, home of the Vikings, will also host games at its campus and athletic center in Cheektowaga, which has newly renovated gyms.

The championships are a welcome addition to the array of local sporting events attracting players and fans in Buffalo. College basketball is one of Kaler’s favorites. “I’m looking forward to the games,” he said, “and the chance to see teams and players from so many different places come here to play their best.” 

 The USCAA, based in Pittsburgh, is a national governing body that exists to provide opportunities for small colleges to compete against like institutions. The 70-member association was founded in 2001 as a reformation of the National Small College Athletic Association. 

 Visit Buffalo Niagara sells and markets our assets and attractions to visitors outside of the Buffalo Niagara region as a convention, tourism and leisure destination for the economic benefit of the community.