The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships aren’t going anywhere. The conference announced on Tuesday that the championships from 2027 through 2031 will be played in Atlantic City, N.J., making it 12 straight years for the tournament on the Jersey Shore.
The league said that the Conference’s Council of Presidents voted unanimously for Atlantic City.
“Atlantic City’s long-term investment in the MAAC Basketball Championships gives us the ability to continue elevating the Conference’s marquee
event and delivering an outstanding experience for our student-athletes, member institutions, and fans,” MAAC Commissioner Travis Tellitocci said in a release. “Having a confirmed host for the next five years allows us to plan with confidence, innovate, and build on the momentum we’ve established. Coupled with an earlier championship window and primetime coverage on ESPN/ESPN2, this agreement represents a major step forward in elevating the quality and visibility of our marquee event.”
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall was announced as the host for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 tournaments on June 1, 2018. Because the 2020 tournament was cancelled midway through, that first contract was extended through 2023. Then, it was selected for a second set of three tournaments from 2024 to 2026. In 2026, the MAAC Tournament dates changed from Tuesday to Saturday (ending the day before Selection Sunday) to Thursday to Tuesday, ensuring a less crowded time slot and better television schedule for the championship game.
The dates were one of the critiques of Atlantic City as a location for the tournament, as the MAAC lost that time slot by moving the tournament to the boardwalk because of the New Jersey High School Wrestling Championships. Now, that criticism no longer holds up.
The Albany Times-Union reported that Albany’s MVP Arena offered “a mix of guarantee and revenue-sharing” to the conference, which was seeking a reported $300,000 minimum guarantee from a host site. It is unclear what Atlantic City offered.
MAAC fans are torn on the issue of where the tournament should be. I ran a Twitter poll on Jan. 27 asking where it should be held, and 53.9% of the 371 voters sided with Atlantic City. It’s likely that many of the Albany voters are Siena fans, as it allows for the Saints to play home games in the MAAC Tournament, another factor as to why the other fanbases prefer Atlantic City.
The tournament was held in Albany from 1990-1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008-2010, and most recently, 2015-2019.
The league said in the release that it conducted a “comprehensive, year-long evaluation” in the process of selecting the host site and format for the tournament. It also said that it considered multiple different models, including hosting both the men’s and women’s tournaments on campus sites, and a hybrid model with both campus sites and a neutral site. At the end of the day, the conference and its members decided that staying in Atlantic City with the 10-team format is best.
The 2026 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held March 5-10 at Boardwalk Hall.
