Queens University of Charlotte is crashing the big dance for the very first time. The Royals punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after snagging the Atlantic Sun title, and on Wednesday students and neighbors packed campus to send the team off before its showdown with Purdue in St. Louis on Friday night.
Queens nailed down the automatic berth with a 98-93 overtime win over Central Arkansas in the ASUN final, storming back from an early hole with a second-half surge. Chris Ashby dropped 34 points and Nasir Mann walked away as tournament MVP, as the Atlantic Sun Conference reported.
The sendoff felt more like a neighborhood block party than a routine road trip. Students and fans lined up for cheers and high-fives. "The vibes have just been really fun," graduate student Catherine Thompson told WBTV, while another fan said one of her brackets has Queens "going all the way." For a small campus suddenly staring into the national spotlight, every handshake and selfie seemed to land a little heavier.
As Queens Athletics noted, Queens was elected to active Division I status effective July 1, 2025, which makes this the program's first season with full postseason eligibility. The university hailed that reclassification as a major milestone last summer, and the NCAA bid is already making that celebration look like a warmup.
Watch Parties and a Small-Town Sendoff
Queens has lined up watch parties around the country, including a Charlotte gathering at Legion Brewing SouthPark, and is asking fans to register in advance. According to Queens University, the Royals will meet Purdue in a Friday evening first-round game in St. Louis, with tipoff listed at 7:35 p.m., and the SouthPark event is one of several official viewing sites.
What To Watch In St. Louis
Purdue rolls in as a power-conference heavyweight, and bracket projections had the Boilermakers hovering near the top of the field, turning Friday's matchup into a classic David-and-Goliath storyline, as NCAA.com bracket analysis noted. Analysts say Queens' best shot at an upset runs straight through stout interior defense and taking care of the ball.
Whatever the scoreboard reads in St. Louis, the trip already feels like a watershed moment for the Royals and for Charlotte. "You build this plan... I'm so fortunate to be here," coach Grant Leonard told WFAE after the ASUN final, reflecting on how quickly the program has climbed into the March Madness conversation.
