Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament
The Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament has been played every year since the 1982-83 academic year. The winner of the tournament is guaranteed an automatic berth into the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.
| Sun Belt women's basketball tournament | |
|---|---|
| Conference basketball championship | |
| Sport | Women's basketball |
| Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament |
| Current stadium | Pensacola Bay Center |
| Current location | Pensacola, Florida |
| Played | 1983–present |
| Last contest | 2023 |
| Current champion | James Madison |
| Most championships | Western Kentucky (9) |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN+ |
| Official website | Sun Belt Women's Basketball |
In 2007, the Sun Belt received an at-large berth, as Louisiana–Lafayette (regular season champ of the West Division) received an invite to the national tournament despite losing in the conference tournament final. The following year, the Sun Belt received an at-large berth again, as Middle Tennessee State received an invite to the national tournament. In 2010, it happened again, as Little Rock received an at-large bid, having entered the conference tourney as a #1 seed, before losing to Middle Tennessee in double overtime.
The current tournament format, featuring all conference members, has been in place since the 2020–21 season. The tournament is being held in Pensacola, Florida through at least the 2024–25 season. First- and second-round games are played simultaneously at Hartsell Arena on the campus of Pensacola State College and the Pensacola Bay Center, with semifinals and finals at the Bay Center.[1]
Champions by year
Performance by school
| Member | Winners | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 9 |
1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2008, 2014 |
| Louisiana Tech | 7 |
1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Middle Tennessee | 7 |
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 |
| Little Rock | 5 |
2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 |
| Old Dominion | 5 |
1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990 |
| Troy | 3 |
2016, 2017, 2021 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
1988 |
| FIU | 1 |
2002 |
| James Madison | 1 |
2023 |
| UT Arlington | 1 |
2022 |
| TOTAL | 39 |
- Current conference members as of the 2022–23 season are indicated in bold.
References
- "Pensacola Selected to Host 2021-25 Basketball Championships" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- "Pensacola Selected to Host 2021-25 Basketball Championships" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.