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
James Madison University's basketball team heads into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., with optimism despite a late-season setback. The Dukes, seeded ninth in the tournament, finished the regular season with eight wins in their final 11 games, but a last-second loss to Coastal Carolina in their home finale prevented them from securing a higher seed. The bracket structure, which grants the top two seeds direct entry to the semifinals, means JMU will need to win six consecutive games to claim the title. The Dukes will open their tournament campaign against either Louisiana (No. 12 seed) or Georgia State (No. 13 seed) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Pensacola Bay Center. Despite the challenging path, players and coaches remain confident in their ability to compete. Forward Justin McBride emphasized that the loss to Coastal Carolina, while painful, does not diminish their belief in their team's potential. "We got all the confidence in the world still after this loss to get to Pensacola and win it all," McBride said. "This one would have helped us more. It stings, but we’re going to learn from it and watch film and get ready to go to Pensacola and win it all." JMU’s confidence is rooted in their late-season performance. After struggling early in conference play with a 2-6 record, the team rebounded with key road victories against Troy and Arkansas State, the latter of which holds the second-highest NET ranking in the league. Center Gabe Newhof acknowledged the disappointment of the Coastal loss but highlighted the team's momentum. "This loss sucks," Newhof said, "but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I believe and the team believes we’re playing our best basketball.#justin_mcbride #james_madison_university #sun_belt_conference_tournament #pensacola_bay_center #gabe_newhof
