| Division: | II |
| Year: | 1966 |
| Teams: | 36 |
| Finalfourcity: | Evansville, Indiana |
| Champions: | Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers |
| Titlecount: | 1st |
| Runnerup: | Southern Illinois Salukis |
| Gamecount: | 2nd |
| Semifinal1: | Akron Zips |
| Finalfourcount: | 2nd |
| Semifinal2: | North Dakota Fighting Sioux |
| Finalfourcount2: | 2nd |
| Coach: | Guy R. Strong |
| Coachcount: | 1st |
| Mop: | Sam Smith |
| Mopteam: | Kentucky Wesleyan |
| Attendance: | 26,082 |
The 1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament involved 36 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division basketball as a culmination of the 1965–66 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Kentucky Wesleyan's Sam Smith named Most Outstanding Player.
In September 1965, the NCAA granted the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) an automatic berth in the NCAA College Division tournament. Tommy Niland, head coach of Le Moyne, which had received an at-large berth to each of the previous two NCAA tournaments, said that he was generally in favor of automatic qualification for the tournament, but, with one less at-large bid available, and the NCAA limiting how many teams from each area of the country enter the tournament, it would now be more difficult for teams in the northeast to be selected. Niland pointed out that none of the schools in the SUNYAC had ever been selected to play in the NCAA tournament in the past and that the conference might not be strong enough to merit an automatic bid.[1] The SUNYAC joined the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) and the Tri-State Collegiate Basketball League as conferences with automatic tournament bids. This left five at-large bids available for the nearly 200 teams in the northeast, designated by the NCAA as District 1, since teams from this area generally participated in either the Northeast or East Regionals, each of which comprised four teams.[2] Since the MASCAC was very large, with more than 20 teams, it split into two divisions: the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) North Division and the MAC South Division, and each division applied for and received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This left only four at-large bids available for teams from the northeast. After considering the large number of teams in District 1, particularly high-quality teams without access to an automatic bid,[3] the NCAA decided that instead of two regions of four teams each as had previously been the case, District 1 would have 12 bids with regional games played at three sites. The winner emerging from one of these sites would go directly to the national quarterfinals, while the other two winners would play each other for a quarterfinal berth.[4] One site would feature the two MAC teams and two at-large teams. The second site would have the Tri-State League champion and three at-large teams. The SUNYAC champion and three at-large teams would play at the third site.[5]
The expansion of the tournament would make it less likely that overflow District 1 teams would need to be sent to the Mideast Regional, as had been the case with Le Moyne and Ithaca in 1964, and Buffalo in 1965.
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| American International | Fifth Place* | |
| Assumption | Runner-up | |
| Central Connecticut State | Regional Champion | |
| Le Moyne | Fifth Place* | |
| Northeastern | Third Place* | |
| Philadelphia Textile | Third Place* | |
| Potsdam State | Seventh Place* | |
| Springfield | Seventh Place* | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Wesleyan | Regional Champion | |
| Oglethorpe | Runner-up | |
| South Carolina State | Fourth Place | |
| Winston-Salem | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Albright | Third Place | |
| Cheyney | Runner-up | |
| Drexel | Fourth Place | |
| Long Island | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Akron | Regional Champion | |
| Randolph–Macon | Fourth Place | |
| Steubenville | Runner-up | |
| Youngstown State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno State | Regional Champion | |
| Nevada | Third Place | |
| San Diego | Fourth Place | |
| Seattle Pacific | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Evansville | Runner-up | |
| Indiana State | Fourth Place | |
| Lamar | Third Place | |
| Southern Illinois | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Regional Champion | |
| Arkansas State | Third Place | |
| Jackson State | Fourth Place | |
| SW Missouri State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado State College | Third Place* | |
| North Dakota | Regional Champion | |
| St. Procopius | Third Place* | |
| Valparaiso | Runner-up | |
*indicates a tie
Location: McClendon–McDougald Gym Host: North Carolina College at Durham
Location: Bollman Center Host: Albright College
Location: Memorial Hall Host: Municipal University of Akron
Location: North Gym Host: Fresno State College
Location: SIU Arena Host: Southern Illinois University
Location: Indian Fieldhouse Host: Arkansas State College
Location: Hyslop Sports Center Host: University of North Dakota
Note: The first-round game between North Dakota and Colorado State College was delayed a day to March 6; the Valparaiso/Saint Procopius game was played in Moorhead, Minnesota on March 5; and the third-place game was cancelled entirely. These occurrences were due to inclement weather.
*denotes each overtime played
Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: Evansville College
*denotes each overtime played