On Tuesday, March 3, the Sun Belt Conference announced that beginning in 2021 the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would be moving to Pensacola, Fla.
The Sun Belt Tournament was held at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs, Ark. from 2009 until 2013 and was held at New Orleans, La.’s Lakefront Arena from 2014 until 2018.
In 2019, the first round of the tournament was held at campus arenas and the final three rounds were held at Lakefront Arena. This season, the first round, second round and quarterfinals will be held on-campus with the semifinals and finals taking place at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Beginning next season the entire tournament will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center and Hartsell Arena as the Sun Belt has entered into a five-year agreement with the City of Pensacola through 2025.
First round and quarterfinals games will be split between the Pensacola Bay Center and Hartsell Arena – on the campus of Pensacola State College – with the semifinals and finals taking place at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Also, the tournament will return to its original 12-team format, which will feature every conference team. In 2019 and 2020 only the top 10 teams from the conference made it into the tournament.
The men’s championship game will be broadcast live on either ESPN or ESPN2, while the women’s championship game will air on ESPNU.
“To build on the rich basketball history across our men’s and women’s programs in the Sun Belt, it was important to find a home for our championships where we could grow and create new traditions for our entire membership,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gills said. “Pensacola is an energized community that has embraced our conference and already is a premier destination for Sun Belt fans and alumni.”
Troy’s men’s basketball team is currently tied for last place – at 5-14 – with Louisiana-Monroe and will miss out on the tournament, while the women’s team is the No. 1 seed. Both the No. 1 and 2 seeds earn a bye in the first two rounds of the tournament this sseason.
The 2020 Sun Belt Basketball Tournament – for both men and women – begin on March 7 with the semifinal games taking place March 14.
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