The Asun Basketball Tournament: Where And When?

where is the asun basketball tournament

The ASUN men's basketball tournament, formerly known as the Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament, is the conference championship tournament for the ASUN Conference, which was previously known as the Atlantic Sun Conference. The ASUN tournament is the earliest of the NCAA Division I men's tournaments and its winner is the first to secure an NCAA bid. The 2025 ASUN men's basketball tournament was held on March 2-9 at the campus sites of the higher seeds, with Lipscomb crowned as the winner.

Characteristics Values
Full Form ASUN: Atlantic Sun Conference
Type Men's basketball tournament
Year Held every year since 1979, except for 1992-93
Teams Jacksonville, North Alabama, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, West Georgia, Lipscomb, Bellarmine
Tiebreakers 1. Head-to-head record of teams with identical records; 2. Comparison of tied teams' win-loss percentage vs. top-ranked team; 3. NCAA NET rankings

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ASUN tournament history

The ASUN tournament is the conference postseason tournament for the Atlantic Sun Conference. The 2025 ASUN men's basketball tournament was the 46th year the league has held a postseason tournament. The tournament was held from March 2–9 at campus sites of the higher seeds, with ten teams contesting the bracket. The winner, Lipscomb, received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Lipscomb shared the regular-season title with North Alabama, although seeds 3 through 6 finished within four games of the lead. Four teams managed to defeat one of the co-champions at least once. The Bisons prevented the Lions from becoming the fourth first-time qualifier in as many 2025 conference tournaments.

The 2022 ASUN Tournament champion was Bellarmine, who was NCAA-eligible for the first time during the 2025 season but did not qualify.

The University of North Alabama has also found success in the ASUN tournament in other sports. In April 2025, the men's tennis team won their first ASUN Tournament Championship.

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2025 ASUN men's basketball tournament

The 2025 ASUN Men's Basketball Tournament was the 46th annual conference postseason tournament for the Atlantic Sun Conference. The tournament was held from March 2–9, 2025, at the campus sites of the higher seeds. Ten teams participated in the tournament, which featured a reseeding format in all rounds instead of a traditional set bracket. In the first round, the 9 and 10 seeds played each other, as did the 7 and 8 seeds, deviating from the typical 7/10 and 8/9 matchups.

Lipscomb emerged as the winner of the 2025 ASUN Men's Basketball Tournament, earning an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. They shared the regular-season title with North Alabama, showcasing their dominance throughout the tournament. The Bisons prevented the Lions from becoming the fourth first-time qualifier in the 2025 conference tournaments.

The ASUN tournament utilized three tiebreakers to determine rankings: 1) head-to-head record of teams with identical win-loss records, 2) comparison of tied teams' win-loss percentage against the top-ranked team(s), and 3) NCAA NET rankings available the day after the conclusion of the ASUN regular season. This comprehensive set of tiebreakers ensured fairness and consistency in team rankings.

It is worth noting that Bellarmine, the 2022 Tournament champion, was NCAA-eligible for the first time this season but did not qualify. Additionally, D1 newcomer West Georgia did not qualify, and their wait for tournament participation may extend until 2029. Meanwhile, the 6-seed Queens team will have to wait until 2027 to participate. However, both teams could speed up their qualification process by accelerating their reclassification.

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ASUN tournament format

The ASUN tournament format is unique to Division I leagues. It was designed by Altier and Stetson coach Steve Trimper. The format is designed to protect the RPI of potential at-large hopefuls or a title favourite that gets eliminated.

In the ASUN tournament, teams are split into two groups: Pool A (1-4 seeds) and Pool B (5-8 seeds). Pool A is played as a single round-robin with only one elimination, while Pool B is played as a regional-style double-elimination bracket. The top seed is given to the regular-season champion, regardless of RPI. The format eliminates the RPI decrease that can occur when a high seed plays a low seed with a poor RPI.

After the initial round-robin and bracket stages, a standard elimination bracket is set with #1A vs. #1B, and #2A vs. #3A. The bottom four seeds still have an opportunity for a run through the conference tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAAs because they are guaranteed one spot in the semifinals.

The ASUN tournament used to follow a double-elimination format, which is commonplace across the country. However, this format was changed to give more weight to the regular season and tough scheduling. Higher-RPI teams have a significant advantage as they can be more conservative early in the tournament while facing other high-RPI teams.

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ASUN tournament seeding

The ASUN tournament seeding is based on win-loss records in ASUN conference games. The higher the seed, the better the odds of winning the championship. The No. 1 seed has won seven titles since 2011, while the No. 2 seed has claimed six in that span. Lower seeds have a harder path to the championship.

In 2025, the ASUN men's basketball tournament was held from March 2-9 at the campus sites of the higher seeds. Ten teams contested the bracket. All rounds reseed instead of following a traditional set bracket. For example, the 9 and 10 seeds play each other in round 1, and the 7 and 8 seeds do as well, rather than the more common 7/10 and 8/9 matchups.

The three tiebreakers used by the ASUN are:

  • Head-to-head record of teams with identical records
  • Comparison of tied teams' win-loss percentage vs. the top-ranked team(s), descending to the next highest-placed team(s) until an advantage is gained
  • NCAA NET rankings available the day after the conclusion of the ASUN regular season

In 2025, the No. 1 seed was Lipscomb, and the No. 2 seed was North Alabama. Queens, in their third year of reclassification, qualified as the sixth seed but was ineligible for an NCAA bid.

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ASUN tournament champions

The ASUN Tournament, also known as the Atlantic Sun Tournament, is an annual men's basketball tournament. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2025 ASUN tournament, which was the 46th edition of the tournament, was held from March 2 to 9, with Lipscomb emerging as the winner.

Unfortunately, I could not find a full list of the ASUN tournament champions. However, here is a brief overview of the ASUN tournament and its format:

The ASUN Tournament is a postseason tournament conducted by the Atlantic Sun Conference. It is a conference postseason tournament, meaning that only teams from the ASUN Conference participate. The tournament usually involves a bracket-style format with ten teams contesting for the championship. However, instead of traditional seeding, all rounds are reseeded. This means that in the first round, the 9th and 10th seeds play each other, and the 7th and 8th seeds do the same, creating a different dynamic from the common 7/10 and 8/9 matchups.

The ASUN tournament utilizes three tiebreakers to determine the final standings:

  • Head-to-head record between teams with identical records.
  • Comparison of tied teams' win-loss percentage against the top-ranked team(s), descending to the next highest-placed team(s) until an advantage is established.
  • NCAA NET rankings available the day after the conclusion of the ASUN regular season play.

The ASUN Tournament is a highly anticipated event in college basketball, with the winning team not only claiming the conference championship but also securing a coveted spot in the prestigious NCAA Tournament.

Frequently asked questions

The ASUN basketball tournament is held at the campus sites of the higher seeds.

The tournament first began in 1979, under the name Trans America Athletic Conference, and has been held every year since except for 1992-93.

The tournament is a single-elimination format, with seeding based on regular-season records.

The tournament is held annually in March.

The winner of the 2025 ASUN tournament was Lipscomb, and the winner of the 2022 tournament was Bellarmine.

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