2026 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship Bracket Announced by Air Force Reserve
The bracket for the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship has been announced. The tournament is set to take place from March 3 to March 9 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida. This year’s competition will feature all 14 institutions in the Sun Belt Conference.
Key Details About the Championship
- Dates: March 3-9, 2026
- Location: Pensacola Bay Center, Pensacola, Florida
- Broadcast: All games will stream on ESPN+, with the championship game on ESPN2.
Tournament Format and Seeds
Troy University clinched the regular season title, finishing with a record of 20-11 and 12-6 in conference play. This victory marks Troy’s second consecutive title, as they shared the championship last season. Troy also won the 2025 tournament, their first since 2017.
Following Troy, six teams, including Marshall, Coastal Carolina, App State, Texas State, South Alabama, and Arkansas State, finished with 11-7 records in conference play. Adjustments to the tournament format mean that the top two seeds, Troy and Marshall, receive byes to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina and App State will advance directly to the quarterfinals.
First Round Matchups
The first round begins on March 3, with the following matchups scheduled:
| Game | Teams | Time (CT) |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Louisiana vs. Georgia State | 5:00 PM |
| Game 2 | Old Dominion vs. ULM | 7:30 PM |
Upcoming Rounds
Subsequent rounds will unfold as follows:
- March 4: James Madison vs. Winner of Game 1 and Georgia Southern vs. Winner of Game 2
- March 5: Southern Miss vs. Winner of Game 3 and Arkansas State vs. Winner of Game 4
- March 6: Texas State vs. Winner of Game 5 and South Alabama vs. Winner of Game 6
- March 7: App State vs. Winner of Game 7 and Coastal Carolina vs. Winner of Game 8
- March 8: Troy vs. Winner of Game 9 and Marshall vs. Winner of Game 10
- March 9: Championship Game: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 at 6:00 PM
Tickets for the 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship are available for purchase via Ticketmaster. For additional information, visit the tournament central page on El-Balad.
