1976 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
The 1976 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1975–76 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by the University of Puget Sound and Puget Sound's Curt Peterson was the Most Outstanding Player.

| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Evansville, Indiana | ||||
| Champions | Puget Sound Loggers (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Chattanooga Mocs (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Don Zech (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Curt Peterson (Puget Sound) | ||||
| Attendance | 70,149 | ||||
| |||||
Regional participants
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | Regional Champion | |
| Evansville | Runner-up | |
| St. Joseph's (IN) | Fourth Place | |
| Wright State | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | Regional Champion | |
| FTU | Fourth Place | |
| Rollins | Third Place | |
| Valdosta State | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly Pomona | Third Place | |
| Cal State Bakersfield | Runner-up | |
| Puget Sound | Regional Champion | |
| UC Davis | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | Runner-up | |
| Madison | Fourth Place | |
| Morgan State | Third Place | |
| Old Dominion | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Assumption | Runner-up | |
| Bentley | Third Place | |
| Bridgeport | Regional Champion | |
| Quinnipiac | Fourth Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Grambling State | Runner-up | |
| Lincoln (MO) | Third Place | |
| Missouri–Rolla | Fourth Place | |
| Nicholls State | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | Runner-up | |
| Minnesota State | Third Place | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | Fourth Place | |
| North Dakota | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo State | Third Place | |
| Cheyney | Regional Champion | |
| Hartwick | Fourth Place | |
| Philadelphia U | Runner-up | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
Great Lakes - Evansville, Indiana
Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: University of Evansville
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 11 | ||||||||
| Evansville | 85 | ||||||||
| Wright State | 75 | ||||||||
| Evansville | 73 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 75 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 65 | ||||||||
| St. Joseph's (IN) | 56 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Wright State 72, St. Joseph's 68
New England - Fairfield, Connecticut
Location: Alumni Hall Host: University of Bridgeport
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 12 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 13 | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 93 | ||||||||
| Bentley | 86 | ||||||||
| Bridgeport | 86 | ||||||||
| Assumption | 84 | ||||||||
| Assumption | 64 | ||||||||
| Quinnipiac | 60 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Bentley 83, Quinnipiac 77
South - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Location: Maclellan Gymnasium Host: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 11 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 12 | ||||||||
| Valdosta State | 95 | ||||||||
| FTU | 82 | ||||||||
| Valdosta State | 66 | ||||||||
| Chattanooga | 86 | ||||||||
| Chattanooga | 86 | ||||||||
| Rollins | 62 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Rollins 101, Florida Tech 91
South Central - Thibodeaux, Louisiana
Location: Stopher Gym Host: Nicholls State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 11 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 12 | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 97 | ||||||||
| Lincoln (MO) | 79 | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 90 | ||||||||
| Grambling | 89 | ||||||||
| Grambling | 67 | ||||||||
| Missouri-Rolla | 61 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Lincoln 86, Missouri-Rolla 84*
West - Tacoma, Washington
Location: Memorial Fieldhouse Host: University of Puget Sound
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 11 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 80 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly Pomona | 65 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 75 | ||||||||
| Cal State Bakersfield | 65 | ||||||||
| Cal State Bakersfield | 87 | ||||||||
| UC Davis | 65 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cal Poly Pomona 84, UC Davis 82*
North Central - Grand Forks, North Dakota
Location: Hyslop Sports Center Host: University of North Dakota
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 11 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 86* | ||||||||
| Nebraska-Omaha | 74 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 65 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 61 | ||||||||
| Green Bay | 72** | ||||||||
| Minnesota State | 67 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Minnesota State 95, Nebraska-Omaha 73
South Atlantic - Norfolk, Virginia
Location: Norfolk Scope Host: Old Dominion University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 11 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 12 | ||||||||
| Baltimore | 85 | ||||||||
| Morgan State | 65 | ||||||||
| Baltimore | 58 | ||||||||
| Old Dominion | 73 | ||||||||
| Old Dominion | 86 | ||||||||
| Madison | 77 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Morgan State 86, Madison 81
East - Villanova, Pennsylvania
Location: Villanova Field House Host: Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 10 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 11 | ||||||||
| Philadelphia U | 89 | ||||||||
| Buffalo State | 69 | ||||||||
| Philadelphia U | 59 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 60 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 73* | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 72 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Buffalo State 69, Hartwick 67
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
| Quarterfinal Elite Eight March 15 | ||||
| Eastern Illinois | 81 | |||
| Bridgeport | 66 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Chattanooga, TN Elite Eight March 15 | ||||
| Chattanooga | 107 | |||
| Nicholls State | 78 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Tacoma, WA Elite Eight March 15 | ||||
| Puget Sound | 80 | |||
| North Dakota | 77 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Norfolk, VA Elite Eight March 15 | ||||
| Old Dominion | 90 | |||
| Cheyney | 85 | |||
National Finals - Evansville, Indiana
Location: Roberts Municipal Stadium Host: University of Evansville
| National semifinals Final Four March 18 | National Championship March 19 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 84 | ||||||||
| Chattanooga | 93 | ||||||||
| Chattanooga | 74 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 83 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 83 | ||||||||
| Old Dominion | 78 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Eastern Illinois 78, Old Dominion 74
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Jeff Fuhrmann (Old Dominion)
- Jeff Furry (Eastern Illinois)
- Brant Gibler (Puget Sound)
- Wayne Golden (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
- Curt Peterson (Puget Sound)