Saoirse Downs
The Sun Belt Conference has a rich basketball history, with multiple teams making it to the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in 2008 and 2013. The 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament champion was James Madison, who received an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA tournament. The 2025 tournament adopted a stepladder system, giving the top two teams byes to the semifinals and the No. 3 and No. 4 teams byes to the quarterfinals. The winner of the 2025 tournament was Troy, who earned the conference's bid to the NCAA tournament.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
| Winner | Troy |
| Dates | March 4–10, 2025 |
| Location | Pensacola Bay Center |
| Number of Teams | 10 out of 12 |
| Seeding | Top two teams received byes to tournament semifinals; No. 3 and No. 4 teams received byes to quarterfinals |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Past winners of the Sun Belt Conference tournament
The Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament has been held annually since the Sun Belt Conference was formed before the 1976–77 academic year. The tournament winner is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The early years of the competition were dominated by the South Florida Bulls, who won 8 of the first 10 Vic Bubas Cups. After the 1990 season, South Florida left the conference, and South Alabama became the dominant team, winning 8 of the next 10 tournaments. Between 2001 and 2014, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky were the only teams to win the tournament, with 9 and 5 wins, respectively. South Alabama has won the most Sun Belt Conference championships, with 13.
The Sun Belt Conference has a rich basketball history, sending multiple teams to the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, and again in 2008 and 2013. Overall, Sun Belt schools have achieved 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament during their time as conference members.
The 2025 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament winner was Troy, who earned an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Deruyter Boys Basketball Triumph Tonight: Did They Win?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The stepladder system
In 2019, the bottom four seeds played in the first round, with the winners joining the top six seeds in the next round. The 5th and 6th seeds received byes into the second round, while the 3rd and 4th seeds started in the quarterfinals. The top two seeds received a triple bye straight into the semifinals.
The Sun Belt Conference changed the tournament format in 2019 to reward teams that performed well during the regular season. The stepladder system was also used in the 2025 tournament, with the top 10 seeds receiving at least one bye. The top two seeds received byes into the semifinals, while the 3rd and 4th seeds received byes into the quarterfinals.
The Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament has been played every year since the formation of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976. The tournament size has varied over the years, ranging from a minimum of six teams to as many as thirteen. Despite these changes, the tournament has consistently utilised a single-elimination style format.
Virginia's Basketball Triumph: A Championship Year
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Sun Belt Conference history
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) has a rich history in basketball, with a number of notable achievements over the years. The SBC is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001, with its teams participating in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
The conference has 14 member institutions distributed across the Southern United States. The founding members included the University of New Orleans, the University of South Alabama, Georgia State University, Jacksonville University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of South Florida. Over the years, the conference expanded to include schools such as Western Kentucky University, Old Dominion University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, among others.
The Sun Belt Conference has a storied basketball history, sending multiple teams to the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, with their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2013. Charlotte, then known as UNC Charlotte, reached the Final Four in 1977, and future Sun Belt member Western Kentucky made it to the Final Four in 1971. Overall, Sun Belt schools have posted 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament during their membership in the conference.
The conference has made changes to its tournament format over the years. Prior to 2019, all conference members were typically invited to each tournament. However, starting with the 2019 edition, only 10 of the 12 teams qualified, with a stepladder-style bracket format. The top two seeds received a triple bye into the semifinals, while the bottom four seeds played in the first round. In 2025, the conference adopted a unique stepladder system, giving the top two teams byes to the tournament semifinals and the No. 3 and No. 4 teams byes to the quarterfinals. These changes were made to reward teams for their performance during the regular season.
The Historic UTEP National Basketball Championship Victory
You may want to see also
Explore related products
NCAA tournament bids
The Sun Belt Conference has a rich history in basketball, with multiple teams entering the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in 2008 and 2013. The winner of the Sun Belt Conference tournament is guaranteed an automatic berth into the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
In 2008, both the regular-season champion South Alabama and tournament winner Western Kentucky received bids. In 2013, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee represented the Sun Belt Conference in the NCAA tournament. Overall, past and present Sun Belt schools have posted 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament during their time as conference members.
In 2019, only 10 of the conference's 12 teams qualified for the tournament. The format consisted of two stepladder-style brackets, with the bottom four seeds playing in the first round, and the top seeds receiving byes into later rounds. The tournament format was changed to reward teams that performed well during the regular season.
For the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament, 31 out of 68 teams qualified automatically through conference tournaments. The remaining 37 spots were filled by at-large teams chosen by the selection committee. The Troy Trojans won the 2025 Sun Belt Championship, defeating Arkansas State and securing their place in the NCAA tournament.
Wildcats' Triumph Years: A Basketball Legacy
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$25.49 $49.99
2024 Sun Belt Conference tournament
The Sun Belt Conference has a rich basketball history, with multiple teams advancing to the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in 2008 and 2013. The 2024 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship is scheduled to take place in March 2024, with the specific dates and participating teams yet to be announced.
The Sun Belt Conference encompasses a range of universities and colleges across the United States, with a strong focus on athletics and competitive sports. The conference has a history of producing successful basketball teams, with a number of notable achievements over the years.
In the 1970s, UNC Charlotte, now known as Charlotte, reached the Final Four in 1977, while Western Kentucky, a future member of the Sun Belt Conference, achieved the same feat in 1971. Overall, Sun Belt schools, both past and present members, have accumulated 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament during their time within the conference.
The 2025 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 4-10, 2025, at the Pensacola Bay Center. The tournament format has undergone changes, adopting a stepladder system where the top two teams receive byes to the semifinals and the third and fourth-placed teams advance to the quarterfinals.
The 2024 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship is expected to be a highly anticipated event, with teams vying for a chance to represent their colleges and compete for the conference title. The specific details of the tournament, including the participating teams and the format, will be revealed closer to the event.
Mastering Basketball on Messenger: Strategies for Success
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
James Madison won the 2024 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament and received the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA tournament.
The Sun Belt Conference has a rich basketball history, with multiple teams advancing to the NCAA tournament in the 1980s and 1990s. More recently, in 2008 and 2013, teams from the conference received bids to the NCAA tournament. Overall, Sun Belt schools have achieved 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament during their membership in the conference.
The tournament format has evolved over the years. In 2019, only 10 of the 12 teams qualified, with a stepladder-style bracket system. The top two seeds received a triple bye into the semifinals. The conference adopted a unique stepladder system for the 2025 tournament, giving the top two teams byes to the semifinals and the No. 3 and No. 4 teams byes to the quarterfinals.
