# Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament

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 | Location |
| 1983 | Old Dominion | 78–67 | Western Kentucky | ODU Fieldhouse; Norfolk, Virginia |
| 1984 | Old Dominion | 78–69 | South Alabama | ODU Fieldhouse; Norfolk, Virginia |
| 1985 | Old Dominion | 76–63 | Western Kentucky | ODU Fieldhouse; Norfolk, Virginia |
| 1986 | Western Kentucky | 69–61 | Old Dominion | E. A. Diddle Arena; Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| 1987 | Old Dominion | 64–61 | South Alabama | ODU Fieldhouse |
| 1988 | UNC Charlotte | 74–69 | VCU | USF Sun Dome; Tampa, Florida |
| 1989 | Western Kentucky | 67–54 | South Alabama | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| 1990 | Old Dominion | 72–57 | UAB | ODU Fieldhouse |
| 1991 | Western Kentucky | 81–73 | UAB | UAB Arena; Birmingham, Alabama |
| 1992 | Western Kentucky | 65–62 | Arkansas State | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| 1993 | Western Kentucky | 81–73 | Louisiana Tech | Thomas Assembly Center; Ruston, Louisiana |
| 1994 | Louisiana Tech | 68–43 | Western Kentucky | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| 1995 | Western Kentucky | 71–68 | Louisiana Tech | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| 1996 | Louisiana Tech | 71–53 | Western Kentucky | ASU Convocation Center; Jonesboro, Arkansas |
| 1997 | Louisiana Tech | 80–68 | Western Kentucky | E. A. Diddle Arena |
| 1998 | Louisiana Tech | 69–68 | Western Kentucky | Thomas Assembly Center |
| 1999 | Louisiana Tech | 84–60 | FIU | ASU Convocation Center |
| 2000 | Louisiana Tech | 97–94 | Western Kentucky | E.A. Diddle Arena |
| 2001 | Louisiana Tech | 67–55 | Denver | Mitchell Center; Mobile, Alabama |
| 2002 | FIU | 66–49 | North Texas | Lakefront Arena; New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 2003 | Western Kentucky | 86–83 | Middle Tennessee | E.A. Diddle Arena |
| 2004 | Middle Tennessee | 79–57 | Western Kentucky | E.A. Diddle Arena |
| 2005 | Middle Tennessee | 67–52 | Louisiana-Lafayette | UNT Coliseum; Denton, Texas |
| 2006 | Middle Tennessee | 84–73 | Western Kentucky | Murphy Center; Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
| 2007 | Middle Tennessee | 77–67 | Louisiana-Lafayette | first round at campus sites; rest at Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana |
| 2008 | Western Kentucky | 65–49 | Middle Tennessee | first round games at higher seed; rest at Mitchell Center |
| 2009 | Middle Tennessee | 74–54 | UALR | Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| 2010 | Middle Tennessee | 70–68$^{OT}$ | UALR | Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| 2011 | UALR | 66–59 | Western Kentucky | Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| 2012 | UALR | 71–70$^{OT}$ | Middle Tennessee | Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| 2013 | Middle Tennessee | 53–48 | UALR | Summit Arena; Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| 2014 | Western Kentucky | 61–60 | Arkansas State | Lakefront Arena |
| 2015 | UALR | 78–72 | Arkansas State | Lakefront Arena |
| 2016 | Troy | 61–60$^{OT}$ | Little Rock | Lakefront Arena |
| 2017 | Troy | 78–64 | Louisiana | Lakefront Arena |
| 2018 | Little Rock | 54–53 | Texas State | Lakefront Arena |
| 2019 | Little Rock | 57–56 | South Alabama | First three rounds: Campus sites Semifinals and final: Lakefront Arena |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled 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 Madison | 81–51 | Texas State | Pensacola Bay Center |
| 2024 | Marshall | 95–92$^{OT}$ | James Madison | Pensacola Bay Center |
| 2025 | Arkansas State | 86-79$^{OT}$ | James Madison | Pensacola Bay Center |

## Performance by school

| School | Championships | Championship Years |
| Western Kentucky | 9 | 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2008, 2014 |
| Louisiana Tech | 7 | 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Middle Tennessee | 7 | 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013 |
| Little Rock | 5 | 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019 |
| Old Dominion | 5 | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990 |
| Troy | 3 | 2016, 2017, 2021 |
| Arkansas State | 1 | 2025 |
| Marshall | 1 | 2024 |
| James Madison | 1 | 2023 |
| Charlotte | 1 | 1988 |
| FIU | 1 | 2002 |
| UT Arlington | 1 | 2022 |
| Appalachian State | 0 |
| Coastal Carolina | 0 | |
| Georgia Southern | 0 | |
| Georgia State | 0 | |
| Louisiana | 0 | |
| Louisiana–Monroe | 0 | |
| South Alabama | 0 | |
| Southern Miss | 0 | |
| Texas State | 0 | |
| TOTAL | 39 |
* Schools highlighted in pink are former members of the Sun Belt.