| Teams | 32 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Springfield, Massachusetts | ||||
| Champions | Virginia Union Panthers (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | New York Tech Bears (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Dave Robbins (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Keith Valentine (Virginia Union) | ||||
| Attendance | 44,815 | ||||
| |||||
The 1980 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 1979–80 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Virginia Union University and Virginia Union's Keith Valentine was the Most Outstanding Player.

Regional participants
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Benedict | Fourth Place | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Third Place | |
| UMBC | Runner-up | |
| Virginia Union | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Bryant | Fourth Place | |
| New Hampshire College | Regional Champion | |
| Quinnipiac | Third Place | |
| Springfield | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | Fourth Place | |
| South Dakota State | Regional Champion | |
| Stonehill | Third Place | |
| Western Illinois | Runner-up | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Bethune–Cookman | Fourth Place | |
| Florida Southern | Regional Champion | |
| UCF | Runner-up | |
| West Georgia | Third Place | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | Runner-up | |
| Puget Sound | Third Place | |
| San Francisco State | Fourth Place | |
| UC Riverside | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri State | Third Place | |
| Jacksonville State | Fourth Place | |
| Nicholls State | Runner-up | |
| North Alabama | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheyney | Third Place | |
| Gannon | Fourth Place | |
| Hartwick | Runner-up | |
| NYIT | Regional Champion | |
| School | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois | Runner-up | |
| Indiana State–Evansville | Fourth Place | |
| Northern Michigan | Regional Champion | |
| Wright State | Third Place | |
*denotes tie
Regionals
South Atlantic - Catonsville, Maryland
Location: UMBC Fieldhouse Host: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| UMBC | 86 | ||||||||
| Benedict | 69 | ||||||||
| UMBC | 65 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 80 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 72 | ||||||||
| Mount St. Mary's | 70 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Mount St. Mary's 84, Benedict 82
New England - Smithfield, Rhode Island
Location: Bryant Gymnasium Host: Bryant College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| Springfield | 91 | ||||||||
| Bryant | 78 | ||||||||
| Springfield | 80 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 89 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire College | 98 | ||||||||
| Quinnipiac | 89 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Quinnipiac 102, Bryant 97
North Central - Brookings, South Dakota
Location: Frost Arena Host: South Dakota State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| South Dakota State | 74 | ||||||||
| Stonehill | 51 | ||||||||
| South Dakota State | 98 | ||||||||
| Western Illinois | 86 | ||||||||
| Western Illinois | 102 | ||||||||
| North Dakota | 79 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Stonehill 70, North Dakota 57
South - Lakeland, Florida
Location: Jenkins Fieldhouse Host: Florida Southern College
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 28 | Regional Final Sweet 16 February 29 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 81 | ||||||||
| Bethune–Cookman | 72 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 71 | ||||||||
| UCF | 64 | ||||||||
| UCF | 81 | ||||||||
| West Georgia | 78 | ||||||||
- Third Place - West Georgia 75, Bethune-Cookman 63
West - Tacoma, Washington
Location: Memorial Fieldhouse Host: University of Puget Sound
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 1 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 2 | ||||||||
| UC Riverside | 65 | ||||||||
| Puget Sound | 61 | ||||||||
| UC Riverside | 62 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly | 53 | ||||||||
| Cal Poly | 66 | ||||||||
| San Francisco State | 46 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Puget Sound 93, San Francisco State 86
South Central - Warrensburg, Missouri
Location: CMSU Fieldhouse Host: Central Missouri State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 98 | ||||||||
| Central Missouri State | 86 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 77 | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 68 | ||||||||
| Nicholls State | 78 | ||||||||
| Jacksonville State | 76 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Central Missouri State 112, Jacksonville State 91
East - Erie, Pennsylvania
Location: Hammermill Center Host: Gannon University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| NYIT | 81 | ||||||||
| Gannon | 59 | ||||||||
| NYIT | 80 | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 78 | ||||||||
| Hartwick | 67 | ||||||||
| Cheyney | 64 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Cheyney 87, Gannon 86
Great Lakes - Dayton, Ohio
Location: Physical Education Building Host: Wright State University
| Regional semifinals Round of 32 February 29 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 1 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 74 | ||||||||
| Wright State | 63 | ||||||||
| Eastern Illinois | 56 | ||||||||
| Northern Michigan | 58 | ||||||||
| Northern Michigan | 93 | ||||||||
| Indiana State–Evansville | 82 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Wright State 88, Indiana State–Evansville 85
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
| Quarterfinal - Richmond, VA Elite Eight March 8 | ||||
| Virginia Union | 108 | |||
| New Hampshire College | 91 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Lakeland, FL Elite Eight March 8 | ||||
| South Dakota State | 71 | |||
| Florida Southern | 81 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Florence, AL Elite Eight March 8 | ||||
| UC Riverside | 69 | |||
| North Alabama | 76 | |||
| Quarterfinal - Marquette, MI Elite Eight March 8 | ||||
| NYIT | 58 | |||
| Northern Michigan | 57 | |||
National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts
Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College
| National semifinals Final Four March 14 | National Championship March 15 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 78 | ||||||||
| Florida Southern | 71 | ||||||||
| Virginia Union | 80 | ||||||||
| NYIT | 74 | ||||||||
| North Alabama | 66 | ||||||||
| NYIT | 72 | ||||||||
- Third Place - Florida Southern 68, North Alabama 67
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Johnny Buckman (North Alabama)
- John Ebeling (Florida Southern)
- Larry Holmes (Virginia Union)
- Bobby Jones (New York Tech)
- Keith Valentine (Virginia Union)