The Sun Belt Conference tournament event begins its sixth year March 3-9 with expanded activities, a goodwill established with the Sun Belt Conference and a sizeable economic and awareness boost to the entire Pensacola region.
Beyond the basketball games and community exposure, Pensacola has realized a residual benefit as Sun Belt Conference Tournament host.
“In the last three years, the economic impact has increased every year,” said Darien Schaefer, the president and CEO of Visit Pensacola. “Last year, it was more than $5.3 million.”
“We had about 8,600 unique attendees last year, and 4,500 of them were out-of-town attendees. That was 700 more than the previous year,” he said. “They generated 8,100 room nights, so as events go, that is a significant number spread throughout the county.”
These are numbers which precede the traditional tourism season in Pensacola. Spring break follows, then Easter weekend. From that point, tourism remains strong through Labor Day.
The Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, presented by Air Force Reserve, begins its sixth year at the Pensacola Bay Center on March 3 with opening round games. There will be 26 games played from all 14 SBC member schools in a seven-day stretch, culminating with the championship games on March 9.
Promotional events are scheduled on five of the seven days.
March 4 is Youth Night. Kids ages 13-under will be admitted free to watch the 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. men’s tournament bracket games.
March 5 is Education Night. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade receive a free ticket. Escambia County faculty, staff and administrators receive free admission.
Military Appreciation Night is March 6 with discounted seats for military members with an active-duty ID.
The quarterfinals on Saturday, March 7, feature the popular Dribble Drive outside on the Bay Center plaza that fronts the arena. Registered participants receive two free tickets, a T-shirt and a basketball. It’s a promotion that has been popular since the tournament’s first year.
“Just seeing the looks on those kids’ faces when they are getting a basketball and a T-shirt and playing on the courts outside is really special,” Schaefer said.
New this year is The Baby Race, sponsored by Dillard’s, during Sunday’s semifinals on March 8. Infants ages 6 to 16 months can crawl their way to a finish line. Each participating infant receives two free tickets. Babies must crawl, no walkers. Registration is available at www.sunbelt.me/babyrace.
“It’s been a goal for us to have better attendance in the earlier rounds and so we appreciate the partnership with Pensacola and the folks there,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “But part of it, too, is the stability we have now in Pensacola.
“When you are brand new at a place, you are just trying to figure out how to turn the lights on and how to run a championship,” Gill said. “After you find a level of familiarity, you can start branching out with new initiatives.
“Education day, the Dribble Drive — these are community events that expand awareness for kids about going to college, the benefits of college. It allows an impact well beyond basketball, which is what our focus is.”
More than half of the Sun Belt Conference members are located within 500 miles of Pensacola, making the event accessible for fans wishing to drive and spend extended time in the community.
“When we look at our target market, we call it ‘the doughnut’ — the driving radius of 300 to 500 miles from Pensacola — a lot of these schools are right within that sweet spot,” Schaefer said. “That is another reason why the Sun Belt Conference has been a great partner.
“Since we first started with the tournament here in 2021, the number of teams have grown, now up to 14 men’s and women’s teams. We encourage teams to bring their bands, their spirit teams to really add to the festive environment in the Bay Center.”
During the first two years as tournament host, Pensacola dealt with limited access on the Pensacola Bay Bridge following damage from Hurricane Sally in 2020. Construction repairs and expansion continued for more than two years. The final phase of renovations was completed in February 2023, just before the tournament.
The expanded bridge has allowed teams to stay at Pensacola Beach and be within 15 minutes of the Pensacola Bay Center, provided the normal smooth traffic flow. That aspect has furthered enhancement of the tournament experience for the SBC teams.
“Each team is provided a list of places to stay. And we have seen more teams staying out at the beach than before, Schaefer said. “Originally the teams were staying downtown or to the north.”
The combination of acclaimed beaches and Pensacola’s vibrant downtown has provided a widespread tournament experience that extends beyond the arena. Most college basketball tournaments nationwide are centered near the host venue.
“I definitely think Pensacola is unique in that right. Not only do we have great beaches, but we have a thriving downtown,” Schaefer said.
That element helped lead to a new five-year contract beginning with the 2026 event, making Pensacola the longest-running host of the SBC men’s and women’s basketball tournament in conference history.
Next year, the 50th anniversary of the SBC men’s basketball tournament will take place in Pensacola.
“When we talk to Commissioner Gill, the conference athletic directors and the SBC administrators who help run the tournament, you can tell they are excited to be in Pensacola,” Schaefer said.
“They appreciate the level of hospitality that we show to the teams and their families and friends. Extending the contract was a mutually agreeable experience — they wanted to do it and we wanted to do it.”
For schedules, tickets and complete tournament details, visit VisitPensacola.com/SunBelt.
