Sun Belt Tournament Begins in Pensacola; Arkansas State Plays Thursday The 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve officially kicks off today in Pensacola, Florida, with all 14 Sun Belt institutions competing in a single-elimination tournament. The event will run from March 3 to March 9 at the Pensacola Bay Center. Seedings and matchups were finalized Friday evening following the conclusion of the regular season. Troy, with a 20-11 overall record and a 12-6 mark in conference play, secured the regular season championship and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. This marks the Trojans’ second consecutive title, following their first victory in the tournament since 2017. Six teams tied for second place in the conference standings with 11-7 records, including Marshall, Coastal Carolina, App State, Texas State, South Alabama, and Arkansas State. The tournament format has been adjusted for the 2024-25 season, granting the top two seeds automatic byes to the semifinals. No. 1 seed Troy and No. 2 seed Marshall will advance directly to the semifinals on March 8, while No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina and No. 4 seed App State will receive byes to the quarterfinals on March 7. First-round games will begin on March 3, with all matches broadcast on ESPN+. The championship game will air on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. CT on March 9. The tournament schedule includes a series of matchups starting with the first round on March 3. Notable games include Louisiana facing Georgia State at 5 p.m. CT, followed by Old Dominion against ULM at 7:30 p.m. CT. Subsequent rounds will feature matchups between higher-seeded teams and winners from earlier games, with the final showdown between the semifinalists on March 9.#sun_belt_conference #pensacola_bay_center #troy #marshall #arkansas_state
