CHICAGO — The battle for the second bid to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round begins on Tuesday night with the tipoff of the 2025 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament at four separate sites.

Top-seeded University of St. Francis (22-5) claimed the first bid granted to the league by edging out No. 2 seed Indiana University Northwest (22-6) based on a points-rating system tie-breaker after the two teams shared the regular-season conference crown.  Coincidentally, the two clubs split their two head-to-head matchups during the regular season.

The losses on each side were one of four in league play for each team, meaning no one is a lock to run away with the tournament crown.  St. Francis dropped its other three CCAC matchups to No. 3 seed Saint Xavier University (19-9), No. 4 Indiana University South Bend (17-11) and No. 7 Governors State University (13-15).

Indiana Northwest (22-6), meanwhile, was not able to solve Saint Xavier in two tries, while also falling to No. 5 Olivet Nazarene University (15-13).

After USF and IUN, each of the other six tournament qualifiers lost no fewer than six games during league play.  SXU and IUSB were each saddled with the fewest of the bunch (six) warranting each of them a first-round home game along with St. Francis and Indiana Northwest on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s quarterfinal-round pairings have St. Francis hosting No. 8 seed St. Ambrose University (15-12) with Indiana South Bend at home against Olivet Nazarene on that same side of the bracket.  On the opposite side, IU Northwest will host Governors State, while No. 6 Calumet College of St. Joseph (15-12) will head to Saint Xavier.

The tournament continues on Thursday with semifinal action followed by the championship matchup on Saturday night at 7 pm.  The higher seeds in each round host.

The tournament champion, along with St. Francis, punches its ticket to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round March 14-15 at one of 16 various sites.  Should St. Francis also claim the tourney title, Indiana Northwest would collect the other bid as the regular-season No. 2 seed.

The complete schedule follows:

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Game #1: No. 8 seed St. Ambrose (15-12) at No. 1 seed St. Francis (22-5) — 7 pm CT
Game #2: No. 5 seed Olivet Nazarene (15-13) at No. 4 seed Indiana South Bend (17-11) — 6 pm CT
Game #3: No. 7 seed Governors State (13-15) at No. 2 seed Indiana Northwest (22-6) — 7 pm CT
Game #4: No. 6 seed Calumet St. Joseph (15-12) at No. 3 seed Saint Xavier (19-9) — 7 pm CT

Thursday, February 27, 2025 (at site of highest remaining seed)
Game #5: Winner-Game #1 vs. Winner-Game #2 — TBA
Game #6: Winner-Game #3 vs. Winner-Game #4 — TBA

Saturday, March 1, 2025 (at site of highest remaining seed)
Game #7: Winner-Game #5 vs. Winner-Game #6 — 7 pm CT