The Road to the NCAA Tournament for Sun Belt Teams
The journey to the NCAA tournament for lower-seeded teams in the Sun Belt Conference has become increasingly challenging this year. The 2025 men’s and women’s basketball championships will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center in Florida from March 4-10, featuring all 14 conference programs in a high-stakes, single-elimination tournament. The unique bracket structure means that while top-seeded teams enjoy a significant advantage, advancing directly to the semifinals, lower-seeded teams must endure a grueling gauntlet of up to seven games in as many days to claim the title and an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Seeding and Initial Advantages
James Madison, with an impressive record of 27-4 (18-0 in the Sun Belt), enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after a dominant regular season. Arkansas State, with a solid 19-10 (15-3 in the Sun Belt) record, locks in the No. 2 seed. These two teams will have a direct path to the semifinals, scheduled for March 9. No. 3 Troy (19-12, 13-5 SBC) and No. 4 Coastal Carolina (22-7, 12-6 SBC) will begin their tournament journey in the quarterfinals on March 8, placing them just two wins away from the championship game.
Tournament Schedule and Viewing Options
The Sun Belt women’s basketball tournament will kick off on March 4 and conclude on March 10, with all games taking place at the Pensacola Bay Center. The bracket will be re-seeded after the quarterfinals if necessary, ensuring that the top remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals. The championship game is set for 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) on Monday, March 10, and will air nationally on ESPN2. The rest of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.
Game-by-Game Schedule
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March 4:
- Game 1: No. 12 Georgia Southern 70, No. 13 Southern Miss 59
- Game 2: No. 11 Marshall 73, No. 14 South Alabama 59
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March 5:
- Game 3: No. 12 Georgia Southern 75, No. 9 ULM 69
- Game 4: No. 11 Marshall 68, No. 10 Texas State 62
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March 6:
- Game 5: No. 8 Georgia State 70, No. 12 Georgia Southern 64
- Game 6: No. 11 Marshall 48, No. 7 Louisiana 46
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March 7:
- Game 7: No. 8 Georgia State 65, No. 5 Old Dominion 62
- Game 8: No. 11 Marshall 75, No. 6 Appalachian State 66
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March 8:
- Game 9: No. 4 Coastal Carolina 77, No. 8 Georgia State 68
- Game 10: No. 3 Troy 85, No. 11 Marshall 54 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
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March 9:
- Game 11: No. 1 James Madison vs. No. 4 Coastal Carolina (12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- Game 12: No. 2 Arkansas State vs. No. 3 Troy (3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- March 10: Championship Game
- Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 (2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Sling)
How to Watch the 2025 Sun Belt Women’s Tournament
The championship game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2, while the rest of the tournament can be streamed on ESPN+. ESPN+ offers a subscription for $11.99 per month or an annual plan for $119.99, providing a $24 savings. Alternatively, you can stream the games via Sling, which offers access to ESPN channels through its Sling Orange package. Sling is a great option for avid sports fans, offering a range of sports channels including ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1, and more.
Full Seeding and Team Records
The full seeding, along with the team records for the 2025 Sun Belt women’s tournament, is as follows:
- 1. James Madison: 27-4 (18-0)
- 2. Arkansas State: 19-10 (15-3)
- 3. Troy: 19-12 (13-5)
- 4. Coastal Carolina: 22-7 (12-6)
- 5. Old Dominion: 17-14 (9-9)
- 6. Appalachian State: 13-16 (9-9)
- 7. Louisiana: 13-15 (9-9)
- 8. Georgia State: 15-15 (8-10)
- 9. ULM: 11-18 (7-11)
- 10. Texas State: 13-16 (7-11)
- 11. Marshall: 11-19 (6-12)
- 12. Georgia Southern: 14-17 (8-10)
- 13. Southern Miss: 10-20 (5-13)
- 14. South Alabama: 6-23 (2-16)
This year’s Sun Belt women’s basketball tournament is shaping up to be a thrilling and competitive event, with each team vying for the ultimate prize of an NCAA tournament bid. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just tuning in for the excitement, there are plenty of ways to follow the action.
