Sun Belt women's basketball tournament
Conference basketball championship
SportWomen's basketball
ConferenceSun Belt Conference
Number of teams14
FormatSingle-elimination tournament
Current stadiumPensacola Bay Center
Current locationPensacola, Florida
Played1983–present
Last contest2023
Current championJames Madison
Most championshipsWestern Kentucky (9)
TV partner(s)ESPN+
Official websiteSun Belt Women's Basketball

The Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament has been played every year since the 1982-83 academic year. The winner of the tournament is guaranteed an automatic berth into the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

In 2007, the Sun Belt received an at-large berth, as Louisiana–Lafayette (regular season champ of the West Division) received an invite to the national tournament despite losing in the conference tournament final. The following year, the Sun Belt received an at-large berth again, as Middle Tennessee State received an invite to the national tournament. In 2010, it happened again, as Little Rock received an at-large bid, having entered the conference tourney as a #1 seed, before losing to Middle Tennessee in double overtime.

The current tournament format, featuring all conference members, has been in place since the 2020–21 season. The tournament is being held in Pensacola, Florida through at least the 2024–25 season. First- and second-round games are played simultaneously at Hartsell Arena on the campus of Pensacola State College and the Pensacola Bay Center, with semifinals and finals at the Bay Center.[1]

Champions by year

Season Tournament champion Score Runner-up Game site
1983 Old Dominion 78–67 Western Kentucky ODU Fieldhouse; Norfolk, Virginia
1984 Old Dominion 78–69 South Alabama
1985 Old Dominion 76–63 Western Kentucky
1986 Western Kentucky 69–61 Old Dominion E. A. Diddle Arena; Bowling Green, Kentucky
1987 Old Dominion 64–61 South Alabama ODU Fieldhouse
1988 UNC Charlotte 74–69 VCU USF Sun Dome; Tampa, Florida
1989 Western Kentucky 67–54 South Alabama E. A. Diddle Arena
1990 Old Dominion 72–57 UAB ODU Fieldhouse
1991 Western Kentucky 81–73 UAB UAB Arena; Birmingham, Alabama
1992 Western Kentucky 65–62 Arkansas State E. A. Diddle Arena
1993 Western Kentucky 81–73 Louisiana Tech Thomas Assembly Center; Ruston, Louisiana
1994 Louisiana Tech 68–43 Western Kentucky E. A. Diddle Arena
1995 Western Kentucky 71–68 Louisiana Tech
1996 Louisiana Tech 71–53 Western Kentucky ASU Convocation Center; Jonesboro, Arkansas
1997 Louisiana Tech 80–68 Western Kentucky E. A. Diddle Arena
1998 Louisiana Tech 69–68 Western Kentucky Thomas Assembly Center
1999 Louisiana Tech 84–60 FIU ASU Convocation Center
2000 Louisiana Tech 97–94 Western Kentucky E.A. Diddle Arena
2001 Louisiana Tech 67–55 Denver Mitchell Center; Mobile, Alabama
2002 FIU 66–49 North Texas Lakefront Arena; New Orleans, Louisiana
2003 Western Kentucky 86–83 Middle Tennessee E.A. Diddle Arena
2004 Middle Tennessee 79–57 Western Kentucky
2005 Middle Tennessee 67–52 Louisiana-Lafayette UNT Coliseum; Denton, Texas
2006 Middle Tennessee 84–73 Western Kentucky Murphy Center; Murfreesboro, Tennessee
2007 Middle Tennessee 77–67 Louisiana-Lafayette first round at campus sites; rest at Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
2008 Western Kentucky 65–49 Middle Tennessee first round games at higher seed; rest at Mitchell Center
2009 Middle Tennessee 74–54 UALR Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas
2010 Middle Tennessee 70–68OT UALR
2011 UALR 66–59 Western Kentucky
2012 UALR 71–70OT Middle Tennessee
2013 Middle Tennessee 53–48 UALR
2014 Western Kentucky 61–60 Arkansas State Lakefront Arena
2015 UALR 78–72 Arkansas State
2016 Troy 61–60OT Little Rock
2017 Troy 78–64 Louisiana
2018 Little Rock 54–53 Texas State
2019 Little Rock 57–56 South Alabama First three rounds: Campus sites
Semifinals and final: Lakefront Arena
2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Troy 73–65 Louisiana Hartsell Arena – Select first-and second-round games
Pensacola Bay Center – All remaining games (Pensacola, FL)[2]
2022 UT Arlington 76–61 Troy Pensacola Bay Center
2023 James Madison 81–51 Texas State
2024
2025

Performance by school

Member Winners Winning Years
Western Kentucky
9
 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2008, 2014
Louisiana Tech
7
 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Middle Tennessee
7
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013
Little Rock
5
 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019
Old Dominion
5
 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990
Troy
3
 2016, 2017, 2021
Charlotte
1
 1988
FIU
1
 2002
James Madison
1
 2023
UT Arlington
1
 2022
TOTAL
39
  • Current conference members as of the 2022–23 season are indicated in bold.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pensacola Selected to Host 2021-25 Basketball Championships" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Pensacola Selected to Host 2021-25 Basketball Championships" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
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