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Queens University of Charlotte is in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Royals are Purdue’s first-round opponent in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Queens’ official Common Data Set lists 1,225 undergraduates, while the school’s broader university messaging describes a campus of about 1,500 students. The Royals are a No. 15 seed and meet No. 2 Purdue on Friday night in St. Louis.
Readers searching “Where is Queens University of Charlotte?” are usually trying to place one of the bracket’s lesser-known schools before tipoff, and this one has a real March hook. Queens is making its NCAA Tournament debut as a Division I program. It explains why this school is suddenly sitting across from Purdue on one of the sport’s biggest days.
Where is Queens University of Charlotte?
Queens is in Charlotte, specifically in the Myers Park area, which is a much better quick frame than just saying “North Carolina.” That detail matters because plenty of casual fans see “Queens” and think of New York first. In bracket terms, the useful answer is simple: this is a small private school in Charlotte, not a New York campus, and it now has one of the most visible games in program history.
Queens enrollment and acceptance rate
Queens’ most recent Common Data Set shows 1,225 undergraduate students, while the university’s public-facing overview rounds that to about 1,500 students overall. Queens’ current acceptance-rate figure is 59%, according to U.S. News.
How did Queens make the tournament?
Queens got here by winning the ASUN Tournament, and the title game was dramatic enough to earn its own paragraph. The Royals beat top-seeded Central Arkansas 98-93 in overtime to secure the first ASUN men’s basketball championship in program history. That win sent Queens to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its first season of Division I postseason eligibility, which is exactly the sort of tournament path detail that makes this more than a blip on the radar.
Has Queens ever won an NCAA tournament game?
No, not at the Division I level. This is Queens’ first NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I program, and the school’s own tournament notes call it the Royals’ March Madness debut after the reclassification waiting period. That gives the post a natural People Also Ask angle: Queens has never won an NCAA Tournament game because this is its first chance to do it on the Division I stage.
Queens stats and top scorers
Queens comes in 21-13 and is built around real offensive balance rather than one star carrying everything. Nasir Mann leads the team with 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Chris Ashby is the high-volume shooter to know after burying 10 threes in the ASUN title game and reaching 109 made threes for the season. The team averages 84.9 points per game, shoots 48.2% from the field, and makes 10.2 threes per game. Queens’ best path to hanging around against Purdue is obvious: keep the game spaced, make perimeter shots, and turn this into a rhythm offensive night instead of a grind game where the favorite’s size controls everything.
Prediction: Can Queens upset Purdue?
Queens is good enough offensively to make Purdue pay attention, and a hot first half from three would not be shocking. But the cleaner prediction is still the favorite. Prediction: Purdue 86, Queens 68. A competitive opening stretch would not be surprising; a full 15-over-2 shocker still would be.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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