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.
Champions by year Year Champion Score Runner-up Location1983Old Dominion78–67Western Kentucky ODU Fieldhouse; Norfolk, Virginia1984Old Dominion78–69South Alabama1985Old Dominion76–63Western Kentucky1986Western Kentucky69–61Old DominionE. A. Diddle Arena; Bowling Green, Kentucky1987Old Dominion64–61South AlabamaODU Fieldhouse1988UNC Charlotte74–69VCUUSF Sun Dome; Tampa, Florida1989Western Kentucky67–54South AlabamaE. A. Diddle Arena1990Old Dominion72–57UABODU Fieldhouse1991Western Kentucky81–73UABUAB Arena; Birmingham, Alabama1992Western Kentucky65–62Arkansas StateE. A. Diddle Arena1993Western Kentucky81–73Louisiana TechThomas Assembly Center; Ruston, Louisiana1994Louisiana Tech68–43Western Kentucky E. A. Diddle Arena1995Western Kentucky71–68Louisiana Tech1996Louisiana Tech71–53Western KentuckyASU Convocation Center; Jonesboro, Arkansas1997Louisiana Tech80–68Western KentuckyE. A. Diddle Arena1998Louisiana Tech69–68Western KentuckyThomas Assembly Center1999Louisiana Tech84–60FIU ASU Convocation Center2000Louisiana Tech97–94Western KentuckyE.A. Diddle Arena2001Louisiana Tech67–55DenverMitchell Center; Mobile, Alabama2002FIU66–49North TexasLakefront Arena; New Orleans, Louisiana2003Western Kentucky86–83Middle Tennessee E.A. Diddle Arena2004Middle Tennessee79–57Western Kentucky2005Middle Tennessee67–52Louisiana-LafayetteUNT Coliseum; Denton, Texas2006Middle Tennessee84–73Western KentuckyMurphy Center; Murfreesboro, Tennessee2007Middle Tennessee77–67Louisiana-Lafayettefirst round at campus sites; rest at Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana2008Western Kentucky65–49Middle Tennesseefirst round games at higher seed; rest at Mitchell Center2009Middle Tennessee74–54UALR Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas 2010 Middle Tennessee 70–68OT UALR 2011 UALR 66–59Western 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 sitesSemifinals and final: Lakefront Arena 2020Canceled 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) 2022 UT Arlington 76–61 Troy Pensacola Bay Center 2023 James Madison81–51Texas State 2024 Marshall95–92OTJames Madison 2025 Arkansas State86-79OT James Madison 2026 James Madison 69-52 Troy
Performance by school School Championships Championship Years Western Kentucky 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2008, 2014 Louisiana Tech 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 Middle Tennessee 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 Little Rock 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 Old Dominion 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990 Troy 2016, 2017, 2021 James Madison 2023, 2026Arkansas State 2025 Marshall 2024 Charlotte 1988 FIU 2002 UT Arlington 2022 Appalachian State Coastal Carolina Georgia Southern Georgia State Louisiana Louisiana–Monroe South Alabama Southern Miss Texas State TOTAL
Schools highlighted in pink are former members of the Sun Belt.
See also Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament
References