Horizon League Basketball Tournament: Where, When, And What To Expect

where is the horizon league basketball tournament

The Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament is an annual event held at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. Since 2009, the tournament has been sponsored by Speedway SuperAmerica, a major gas and convenience store chain, and is officially known as The Speedway Horizon League Men's/Women's Basketball Championship. The tournament has been played every year since 1980, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The venue for the Horizon League tournament has changed over the years, with Detroit hosting it from 2016 to 2019 and Indianapolis hosting the semifinals and finals from 2020 to 2022.

Characteristics Values
Date 4–11 March 2025
Location Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
Winner Robert Morris
Sponsor Barbasol
Number of Teams All teams in the conference
Format Bracket reset after each round, with the lowest remaining seed playing the highest
Time Zone Eastern Time (UTC−5 on 4 and 6 March, UTC−4 on 10 and 11 March)

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Tournament format and rules

The Horizon League men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played every year since 1980. The winner of the tournament becomes the Horizon League Tournament Champion and receives automatic entry to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Through 2002, the entire tournament was hosted at a single venue. From 2003 to 2015, all first-round matches were played at the home court of the higher-seeded team. The hosting rights for the quarterfinals and semifinals were awarded to the winner of the regular-season championship. The championship game was then played at the home arena of the higher remaining seed. This format rewarded the regular-season champion and runner-up with a double bye into the semifinals.

Beginning in 2009, the Horizon League secured an entitlement sponsorship deal with Speedway SuperAmerica, a major gas and convenience store chain throughout the midwestern United States, officially changing the name of the tournaments to "The Speedway Horizon League Men's/Women's Basketball Championship". From 2016 to 2019, the tournament was held in Detroit under a five-year deal, starting at Joe Louis Arena and moving to the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in 2018. However, the contract with Detroit was ended a year early, and the league reopened bidding for the men's and women's tournaments in 2018, with the new contract taking effect for the 2019–20 season. On January 25, 2019, the conference announced that Indianapolis would host the men's and women's semifinals and finals from 2020 to 2022.

In the 2025 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament, the first-round and quarterfinal games were played at the home courts of the higher seeds, with all remaining games at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. All teams in the conference participated in the tournament, with the top five teams receiving byes to the quarterfinals. The bracket is reset after each round so that the lowest remaining seed always plays the highest.

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Past winners

The Horizon League men's basketball conference tournament has been held annually since 1980, taking place at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The winner of the tournament is designated the Horizon League Tournament Champion and receives automatic entry into the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

From 2003 to 2015, the tournament followed a format where all first-round matches were played at the home court of the higher-seeded team. The quarterfinals and semifinals were hosted by the winner of the regular-season championship, and the championship game was played at the home arena of the higher remaining seed.

In 2016, the tournament moved to Detroit as part of a five-year deal, starting at Joe Louis Arena. The women's tournament was added in 2017, and both events were marketed under the title "Motor City Madness". From 2018, the tournament moved to the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. However, the contract was ended a year early, and a new contract took effect with the 2019-20 season, with Indianapolis hosting the semifinals and finals from 2020 to 2022.

The 2025 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Barbasol for the third consecutive year, was held from March 4-11, 2025, with the first-round and quarterfinal games played at the home courts of the higher seeds. All remaining games took place at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. Robert Morris emerged as the winner, securing their place in the NCAA Tournament.

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Sponsorship

The Horizon League is a college basketball tournament held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played every year since 1980. The winner of the tournament becomes the Horizon League Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

The Horizon League initially struggled to find sponsors for its basketball tournaments. However, in 2009, they secured a deal with Speedway SuperAmerica, a major gas and convenience store chain in the midwestern United States. This sponsorship agreement led to the official naming of the tournaments as "The Speedway Horizon League Men's/Women's Basketball Championship." The sponsorship deal with Speedway SuperAmerica significantly enhanced the profile and financial stability of the Horizon League tournaments.

From 2016 to 2019, the tournament was held in Detroit as part of a five-year deal. The women's tournament was added in 2017, and both events were marketed under the title "Motor City Madness." The games were initially played at Joe Louis Arena before moving to the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in 2018. However, the contract with Detroit was terminated a year early, leading the league to reopen bidding for the men's and women's tournaments in 2018.

In 2019, it was announced that Indianapolis would host the men's and women's semifinals and finals from 2020 to 2022. The tournament was sponsored by Barbasol for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2025. The sponsorship deals have been instrumental in providing financial support and exposure for the Horizon League tournaments, helping to elevate their status and attract a wider audience.

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Host cities

The Horizon League is a college basketball tournament held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played every year since 1980, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

From 2003 to 2015, the Horizon League tournament followed a format where all first-round matches were played at the home court of the higher-seeded team. The hosting rights for the quarterfinals and semifinals were then awarded to the winner of the regular-season championship. The championship game was played at the home arena of the highest remaining seed.

Beginning in 2009, the Horizon League secured a sponsorship deal with Speedway SuperAmerica, a major gas and convenience store chain in the midwestern United States, which resulted in the official name change to "The Speedway Horizon League Men's/Women's Basketball Championship".

From 2016 to 2019, the tournament was held in Detroit under a five-year deal. It initially took place at Joe Louis Arena and later moved to the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in 2018. However, the contract with Detroit was terminated a year early, leading to a new contract for the 2019-2020 season.

On January 25, 2019, it was announced that Indianapolis would host the men's and women's semifinals and finals from 2020 to 2022. The 2025 Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament was also held in Indianapolis, with the final games taking place at Corteva Coliseum.

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Participating teams

The Horizon League is a college basketball conference that has sent several qualifiers to the Men's NCAA basketball tournament. The Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament is an annual event, with the 2025 tournament being held from March 4 to March 11, 2025. While the first-round and quarterfinal games took place at the higher seeds' home courts, the remaining games were played at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis.

Over the years, several teams have proudly represented the Horizon League in the NCAA tournament. One notable example is Butler, which has a strong history of appearances and successes in the tournament. In 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2011, Butler made it to the "Sweet 16" and even advanced to the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. In the 2005 NCAA basketball tournament, the Horizon League showcased its strength as 12-seed Milwaukee marched to the "Sweet 16", defeating notable opponents before falling to the then-current champion.

Another notable team is Loyola, which claimed victory in the 1963 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, prior to the Horizon League's establishment. Loyola also holds the distinction of achieving the best seed for a Horizon League team with a 4-seed ranking in the 1985 tournament.

Additionally, Milwaukee has left its mark on the Horizon League's history, with notable performances in the NCAA tournaments. In 2003, they narrowly lost to Notre Dame in the first round. However, in 2005, they showcased their prowess by advancing to the "Sweet 16".

The Horizon League has consistently demonstrated its competitiveness in college basketball, with teams like Butler, Loyola, and Milwaukee achieving notable victories and appearances in the NCAA tournaments.

Frequently asked questions

The 2025 Horizon League Basketball Tournament was held from March 4-11, 2025. The first-round and quarterfinal games were played at the home courts of the higher-seeded teams, and the remaining games were played at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis.

From 2016 to 2019, the tournament was held in Detroit under a five-year deal. Beginning at Joe Louis Arena, the tournament moved to the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in 2018.

The winner of the Horizon League Tournament is designated as the Horizon League Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The 2025 winner was Robert Morris.

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