COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. – The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) is proud to announce that the University of Arizona will host the 2026 NWBA Men’s and Women’s Intercollegiate Division National Championships. Approved by the NWBA Board of Directors, the 2026 National Tournaments will take place at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, AZ, with competition beginning on Tuesday, March 31, and culminating in the national championship games on Saturday, April 4. 

“The University of Arizona Adaptive Athletics is honored to host this year’s NWBA College National Championship,” said Peter Hughes, University of Arizona Director of Athletics for the Disability Resource Center. “We’re especially grateful to the NWBA for the opportunity to host both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments simultaneously—a first for our campus. With a 50-year legacy in the NWBA, it’s incredibly meaningful to bring Nationals to McKale Center and to showcase these talented student-athletes in such a special setting. We’re especially excited to defend our first-ever Men’s national title right here at home and look forward to welcoming everyone to Tucson!” 

“We’re excited to be hosting the 2026 National Tournament at the University of Arizona,” said Kelly Fischbach, NWBA Intercollegiate Division Commissioner. “The team in Tucson has been working hard to create an outstanding atmosphere for this event, and we’re looking forward to an incredible championship experience.” 
 
On the men’s side, the University of Arizona will look to defend its national bragging rights on its home court after capturing its first-ever national title. 

On the women’s side, the University of Alabama enters as the five-time defending national champion and will aim to secure an unprecedented sixth consecutive crown. 

The NWBA Intercollegiate Division National Championships showcase the top collegiate wheelchair basketball programs in the country. During the 2024–25 season, the division featured 12 colleges, with a total of 11 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams competing.