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2026 NWBA Junior Division Postseason Requirements and Timeline

By NWBA and Junior Division Executive Committee, 07/03/25, 10:15AM CDT

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. – The Junior Division Executive Committee has announced the timeline and qualification process for the 2026 NWBA National Championship Series for the Junior Division. The Junior Division portions of the 2026 NWBA National Championship Series will be held Friday, March 20, to Sunday, March 22, in West Monroe, LA, and was announced HERE.

See below for the postseason timeline and updated qualification process. 


POSTSEASON TIMELINE

The following is the 2025-26 postseason timeline for the Junior Division teams to be eligible to participate in their respective national tournaments.  

December 7: Team Registration Deadline (team must registered to be eligible for postseason play)  

January 15:Individual Registration / Roster Deadline – Junior Division (Player Transfers can be submitted until January 14)

January 16: Postseason Applications are OPEN

February 13: Postseason Applications are DUE

February 16: Complete Conference Tournaments & Last Day Games are Considered for Seeding 

February 18: Invites are sent out

February 28: Last Day for Bids to be Accepted

March 2: Last Day Games are Considered for Seeding

March 5: Seedings are Announced 


JUNIOR DIVISION POSTSEASON QUALIFICATIONS

The top 16 ranked teams for Varsity level of play in the Junior Division will earn an invite to compete in the National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (NJWBT). Varsity teams ranked 17th and below may receive an invite to participate in the Junior National Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (NJIT). The top 16 ranked teams from Prep are initially offered an invitation to participate in the National Prep Wheelchair Basketball Tournament (NPWBT). If a team does not accept its bid for postseason play, invitations will be sent to the next team, in order of ranking, until all Junior Division tournaments are filled. 
 
Per the Junior Division Guidelines, Article V. Section 5.02 to be eligible for a national tournament, a team must be in good standing with the NWBA, and: 

1. Play a minimum of TEN (10) games for Varsity and EIGHT (8) games for Prep. 

  • Varsity ONLY: Complete at least 6 of their 10 minimum games against conference opponents. 
  • Prep: Games against all other NWBA divisions will count toward the minimum. 

2. Each Varsity and Prep team must compete in their Conference Championship. 

3. All minimum game requirements must be completed at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the national tournament. 

The following requirements in Junior Division Guidelines for Article V. National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, Section 5.02 Eligibility, Qualification: 

1) e. All minimum game requirements must be completed at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the National Tournaments. See above timeline February 16, 2026 is deadline to completed game requirements. 

i. If invitation acceptance deadlines are prior to the minimum games played to qualify, those games (and dates) must be included on the application for post season play. 

2) a. A Conference Championship which precedes the National Tournament by at least four weeks. Conference tournaments must be completed by February 16, 2026.


For questions, please contact the Junior Division Executive Committee at nwba.org/juniordivision.