automatic bid in the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the school's first ever appearance in the tournament. The Spartans, a 15 seed, defeated the #2 seeded Missouri Tigers in the second round, 86–84. This victory was only the fifth time in NCAA Tournament history that a 15 seed defeated a 2 seed, with the last coming in 2001 by MEAC in-state rival Hampton.
=== Marching band ===
The Spartan "Legion" Marching Band was founded in 1974. There are 230 members. The band performs at campus events and during some Norfolk State football and basketball games. They were featured performers in the Honda Battle of the Bands in 2007 and 2008. In 2018 they were featured in the official music video for the song Heavy Metal by French house act Justice.
The Spartan “Legion” performed at the 2023 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA.
=== National fraternities and sororities ===
All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Norfolk State University. Additional …
