1980 NAIA basketball tournament

The 1980 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 43rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.

Awards and honors

• Leading scorer:
• Leading rebounder:
• Player of the Year: est. 1994

1980 NAIA bracket

	First Round					Second Round					Elite Eight					NAIA National Semifinals					NAIA National Championship
	1	Alabama State	103
	-	Dowling (N.Y.)	57
						1	Alabama State	103
						-	South Carolina-Aiken	78
	-	South Carolina-Aiken	74
	16	Hampton Institute (Va.)	73
											1	Alabama State	67
	TOP TIER
											-	Central Arkansas	53
	9	Rockhurst (Mo.)	78
	-	Defiance (Ohio)	69
						9	Rockhurst	53
						-	Central Arkansas	54
	-	Central Arkansas	67
	8	Augsburg (Minn)	61
																1	Alabama State	72
																-	Huron	58
	5	Kearney State (Neb.)	85
	-	Franklin (Ind.)	86
						-	Franklin	71
						-	Huron	73
	-	Huron (S.D.)	82
	12	Paul Quinn (Tex.)	72
											-	Huron	61
	TOP TIER
											-	Clarion State	52
	13	Hawaii-Hilo	70
	-	Loras (Iowa)	72
						-	Loras	71
						-	Clarion State	79
	-	Clarion State (Pa.)	83
	4	Grand Canyon (Ariz.)	75
																					1	Alabama State	77
																					3	Cameron	84
	3	Cameron (Okla.)	72
	-	Saginaw Valley (Mich.)	69
						3	Cameron	120
						14	St. Augustine's	86
	-	Southern Tech (Ga.)	63
	14	St. Augustine's (N.C.)	66
											3	Cameron	76
	BOTTOM TIER
											-	LeMoyne-Owen	65
	11	Fairmont State (W.Va.)	82
	-	LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.)	84*
						-	LeMoyne-Owen	56
						6	Abilene Christian	55
	-	Illinois Wesleyan	55
	6	Abilene Christian (Tex.)	75
																3	Cameron	71
																2	Wisconsin-Eau Claire	64
	7	Central Washington	89
	-	Moorhead State (Minn.)	73
						7	Central Washington	66
						10	Biola	64
	-	Frankin Pierce (N.H.)	64
	10	Biola (Calif.)	76
											7	Central Washington	61
	BOTTOM TIER
											2	Wisconsin-Eau Claire	68*
	15	Marymount (Kan.)	99*
	-	Dillard (La.)	88
						15	Marymount	49
						2	Wisconsin-Eau Claire	56
	-	Cumberland (Ky.)	61
	2	Wisconsin-Eau Claire	84

•  * denotes overtime.

3rd place game

The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.

	NAIA Third Place Game
	-	Huron	59
	2	Wisconsin-Eau Claire	54