The Conference USA men's basketball tournament is held annually following the end of the regular season of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball.
Format and hosts After the conference realignment, the tournament was held at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, for five seasons. It moved to the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2010, and then to El Paso, Texas, at the Don Haskins Center for 2011. It returned to FedExForum in 2012, and was set to be played there in 2013, as well. However, after Memphis' decision to leave Conference USA for what ultimately became the American Athletic Conference in 2013–14, the league decided to move the tournament to a site near a school remaining in the conference, ultimately selecting the BOK Center in Tulsa. The tournament returned to the Haskins Center in El Paso in 2014. In 2015, the tournament moved to Birmingham, Alabama and the Legacy Arena for three years. In 2017, C-USA signed a deal with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys to move its men's and women's tournaments to the Ford Center, an indoor stadium at the Cowboys' headquarters in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas. This deal, originally for the 2018 and 2019 tournaments, was later extended through 2021, and eventually 2023. After that season, C-USA announced that the men's and women's tournaments would move to Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama for at least 2024 and 2025, extended to 2026.
Tournament results Year Champion Score Runner-up Tournament MVP Location1996Cincinnati85–83 (OT)MarquetteDanny Fortson, CincinnatiThe Pyramid; Memphis, Tennessee 1997Marquette60–52CharlotteAaron Hutchins, MarquetteKiel Center; St. Louis 1998Cincinnati71–57CharlotteKenyon Martin, CincinnatiMyrl Shoemaker Center; Cincinnati 1999Charlotte68–59Louisville Galen Young, CharlotteBJCC Coliseum; Birmingham, Alabama2000Saint Louis56–49DePaulJustin Love, Saint LouisThe Pyramid; Memphis, Tennessee 2001Charlotte80–72CincinnatiRodney White, CharlotteFreedom Hall; Louisville, Kentucky 2002Cincinnati77–63MarquetteSteve Logan, CincinnatiFirstar Center; Cincinnati, Ohio2003Louisville83–78UABLuke Whitehead, LouisvilleFreedom Hall; Louisville, Kentucky2004Cincinnati55–50DePaulTony Bobbitt, CincinnatiU.S. Bank Arena; Cincinnati, Ohio 2005Louisville 75–74MemphisTaquan Dean, LouisvilleFedExForum; Memphis, Tennessee2006Memphis57–46UABShawne Williams, Memphis2007Memphis 71–59HoustonChris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis2008Memphis 77–51TulsaAntonio Anderson, Memphis2009Memphis 64–39TulsaTyreke Evans, Memphis2010Houston81–73UTEPKelvin Lewis, HoustonBOK Center; Tulsa, Oklahoma2011Memphis67–66UTEPJoe Jackson, MemphisDon Haskins Center; El Paso, Texas2012Memphis83–57MarshallFedExForum; Memphis, Tennessee2013Memphis91–79 (2OT)Southern MissChris Crawford, MemphisBOK Center; Tulsa, Oklahoma2014Tulsa69–60Louisiana TechJames Woodard, TulsaDon Haskins Center; El Paso, Texas2015UAB73–60Middle TennesseeRobert Brown, UABLegacy Arena; Birmingham, Alabama2016Middle Tennessee55–53Old DominionReggie Upshaw, Middle Tennessee2017Middle Tennessee83–72MarshallGiddy Potts, Middle Tennessee2018Marshall67–66Western KentuckyJon Elmore, MarshallFord Center at The Star; Frisco, Texas2019Old Dominion62–56Western KentuckyXavier Green, Old Dominion 2020Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021North Texas61–57Western KentuckyJavion Hamlet, North TexasFord Center at The Star; Frisco, Texas 2022UAB82–73Louisiana TechJordan Walker, UAB 2023Florida Atlantic78–56UABAlijah Martin, FAU 2024Western Kentucky78–71UTEPDon McHenry, Western Kentucky Propst Arena; Huntsville, Alabama 2025Liberty79–67Jacksonville StateKaden Metheny, Liberty 2026Kennesaw State71–60Louisiana TechRJ Johnson, Kennesaw State
Tournament Championships by School
Current members
School Championships Championship Years Middle Tennessee Western Kentucky LibertyKennesaw State Delaware FIU Jacksonville State Missouri State New Mexico State Sam Houston
Former members Former members that have won the tournament as of July 1, 2023. School Championships Championship Years Memphis Cincinnati Charlotte Louisville UAB Florida Atlantic Houston Marquette Marshall North Texas Old Dominion Saint Louis Tulsa NCAA ruled that Memphis vacate wins from the 2007–2008 season.
Broadcasters
Television Year Network Play-by-play Analyst Sideline2024CBSSNCarter BlackburnAvery JohnsonTiffany Blackmon2023Jenny Dell2022John SadakAJ Ross2021Carter Blackburn2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic2019CBSSNCarter BlackburnPete GillenJohn Schriffen2018Jamie Erdahl20172016Fox Sports 1Aaron GoldsmithMike Jarvis2015Joe Davis2014CBSIan EagleJim Spanarkel 2010Gus JohnsonDan Bonner 2009 2008 Dick Enberg Bob Wenzel 2007Gus JohnsonDan Bonner 2006 2005http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1233008707 Verne Lundquist Jim Spanarkel 2004http://gobearcats.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031304aaa.html Gus JohnsonDan Bonner 2003 2002 2001 Dick Enberg Bill Walton 2000http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1232403753 Verne LundquistBill Raftery 1999http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1232209113 Sean McDonough 1998http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1232063546 Gus Johnson Jim Spanarkel 1997http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1231884116Tim Ryan Al McGuire 1996http://the506.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1231686678 Al McGuire and Denny Crum
Radio Year Network Play-by-play Analyst 2013Dial Global SportsDave RyanPete Gillen 2012 2011 2010http://images.westwoodone.com/images/pdf/pressreleases/2009NCAAChampionshipWeek.pdf 2009 Kevin Kugler 2007http://images.westwoodone.com/images/pdf/2007%20NCAA%20BB%20Conference%20Championships.pdf Marc Vandermeer
See also Conference USA women's basketball tournament
References