Why American is shrinking field, changing conference basketball tournament format
The American Conference is tweaking the formats for its men's and women's basketball tournaments, in keeping with the league's continued efforts to re-establish multi-bid status.
Starting with the 2025-26 season, only the top 10 teams in the regular-season standings will advance to the conference tournaments, a league spokesperson confirmed to The Commercial Appeal. Previously, all 13 teams comprised the respective fields.
This not only eliminates two games involving teams likely low in the NCAA's NET rankings, but it also aligns the American with a growing number of conferences that do not feature full-membership fields for their postseason tournaments. There are 11 such conferences, including the ACC and Big Ten.
Perhaps the more consequential format modification involves the league's bye system. In the past, the top four seeds received double-byes into the quarterfinal round. Now, only the top two seeds get double-byes, which will send them straight to the semifinals.
The American announced in May its men's and women's basketball tournaments will be held at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2026. Specific dates for the tournaments have not yet been finalized, a league spokesperson said. The 2027 and 2028 tournaments will be held at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.
The changes are another reflection of American commissioner Tim Pernetti's push to avoid one-bid league territory again. For the first time since the American was founded in 2014, it was a one-bid league in men's basketball in 2025. Penny Hardaway's Memphis Tigers are the defending regular-season and conference tournament champs.
Pernetti has emphasized to member programs the importance of non-conference strength of schedule. Last season, Memphis was the only American Conference team to rank in the top 110 in Division I. The Tigers were No. 5.
Also, in June, Pernetti brought on former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese as an advisor on matters of basketball strategy and growth.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X.