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Aurora University Spartans Chase NCAA Finals in Hockey, Basketball

Recent advances in hockey and basketball underscore the program's Division III postseason push.

By Aurora Sport Desk · Published July 19, 2026

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This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Aurora is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Aurora University's men's hockey team advanced to the 2025-2026 NCAA Frozen Four after defeating Endicott College in double overtime during the quarterfinal round. The Aurora University men's basketball team, known as the Spartans, captured the 2025-2026 NACC tournament title with a 67-66 win over Marian University to secure a Pool A berth in the NCAA Division III Championship.

Hockey Team Advances to Frozen Four

The hockey squad's double-overtime quarterfinal victory positioned the program for its deepest national run in recent years. Aurora University fields teams across 24 intercollegiate varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level, with most competition occurring inside the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. This broad athletic footprint gives multiple programs regular exposure to conference play that feeds into national tournament qualification paths.

Basketball Spartans Secure NACC Crown

The Spartans closed the 2025-2026 regular season at 23-5 overall and won 21 of their final 23 contests before entering the NCAA tournament. Their narrow NACC championship victory earned the automatic bid, yet the season ended in the first round when Claremont Mudd-Scripps posted an 84-60 decision at Wisconsin La Crosse. The result capped a campaign defined by late-season momentum inside conference play.

Program Context and Next Steps

Aurora University maintains its primary affiliation with the NACC while competing in NCAA Division III across the full slate of 24 varsity sports. The recent hockey and basketball postseason experiences supply concrete benchmarks for roster development and preparation cycles ahead of the next conference schedule. Teams across the department can reference these specific tournament outcomes when refining training and recruitment priorities for the coming year.