The 1976 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 39th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This is the first tournament since 1969 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA Semifinals. (It would be the 6th time since 1937 this has happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1969).