Northern Kentucky Norse

The Northern Kentucky Norse play at Truist Arena in Highland Heights, just across the river from Cincinnati, and have quickly established themselves as one of the Horizon League's rising powers. Despite being one of the newest Division I programs in the league, NKU has already built a reputation for punching above its transition timeline. The Norse bring a physical, well-coached style that has translated into rapid postseason success. Few programs have climbed the ladder from Division II to national relevance as fast as Northern Kentucky.

The Norse played their first game in 1971 and spent decades as a Division II power, winning multiple Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament titles and reaching the Division II national championship game twice in the mid-1990s. NKU began its transition to Division I in 2012-13 and joined the Horizon League in 2015-16. In its very first year of Division I tournament eligibility, Northern Kentucky won the 2017 Horizon League Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament, becoming just the seventh school ever to do so in its first eligible season. The Norse have since added Horizon League titles in 2019, 2020, and 2023, making them one of the league's most consistent modern contenders.