The Sun Belt Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Pensacola, Fla., for five years beginning in 2021, the conference announced Tuesday.

The tournaments will return to a 12-team, one-city format next year, after the league played early-round games at campus sites in recent years before playing the semifinals and finals in New Orleans. The Pensacola Bay Center and Pensacola State College’s Hartsell Arena will host early-round games, with the semifinals and finals at 8,000-set Pensacola Bay Center, home to the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

"To build on the rich basketball history across our men's and women's programs in the Sun Belt, it was important to find a home for our championships where we could grow and create new traditions for our entire membership," Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said. "Pensacola is an energized community that has embraced our conference and already is a premier destination for Sun Belt fans and alumni."

The 2021 Sun Belt tournaments will take place March 5-8. The women’s final will be televised live by ESPNU, with the men’s final on either ESPN or ESPN2.

The Sun Belt tournament has taken place in New Orleans every year since 2014, in addition to various on-campus and neutral site locations over the years. The men’s tournament has never been staged in Florida, which no longer has a team in the conference following the departures of Florida Atlantic, Florida International and Jacksonville over the years. "We are excited to roll out the red carpet for the entire Sun Belt family and create memorable championship experiences for all," said Ray Palmer, president and CEO of Pensacola Sports. "With the staggering number of world-class athletes and champions who call Pensacola home, hosting the Sun Belt Basketball Championships is a great opportunity to showcase our City of Champions."

The 2020 Sun Belt tournament begins on Saturday, with the semifinals and finals set for March 14-15 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.