USF to host AAC basketball championships in 2027 and 2028
The American Athletic Conference announced that USF will host the 2027 and 2028 men’s and women’s basketball championships.
This marks the first time the tournaments will be held in Tampa, and the first time since 2021 the championships will not take place at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Related: USF men’s basketball touts 66th recruiting class in nation
The 2026 AAC championships are scheduled for Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
“We are thrilled to bring our basketball championships to Birmingham and Tampa,” said Tim Pernetti, Commissioner for the American Athletic Conference.
USF’s Yuengling Center — home for the 2027 and 2028 games — seats over 10,000 and has undergone renovations totaling more than $43 million since 2000. Upgrades included the Pam and Les Muma Basketball Center and enhanced concourses.
The facility holds over 300 events annually, running from basketball games to concerts and commencements.
“Our top priority when we began this bid process was to deliver the best possible experience for our student-athletes,” Pernetti said.
USF men’s basketball head coach Bryan Hodgson expressed enthusiasm about the announcement on social media shortly after it was released.
“What an opportunity!” Hodgson said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
While the AAC announced USF will host the 2027 and 2028 championships, the men’s basketball team is entering a new season that is building momentum for the Bulls.
Hodgson, who took over the program in March, is recognized as one of the nation’s top recruiters.
He previously led Arkansas State, where he spent two seasons as head coach. He steered the Razorbacks to back-to-back successful years, with consecutive 20-win seasons.
Related: USF men’s basketball rebuilds coaching staff under Bryan Hodgson
The 2025 USF recruiting class ranks 57th in the country and is the highest-ranked class since 2013. The momentum riding behind Hodgson and the Bulls could be a way towards contention for an AAC championship on their home court in the near future.
While the Tampa Bay area looks to the future for college basketball, there have also been some recent major events.
Amalie Arena hosted the NCAA Women’s Final Four in April, attracting a crowd of 19,777 for the championship game between UConn and South Carolina.
The Final Four weekend, as a whole, generated an estimated $30 million in economic impact for the Tampa Bay area, according to Bay News 9.
“Tampa Bay has a rich tradition for hosting amazing college basketball events and this announcement in tandem with our friends at the American Athletic Conference, is an exciting next chapter for us,” said Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.
More Stories
USF races into NCAA history with relay title
USF track and field had ventured over 3,000 miles to compete in the NCAA outdoor national championships in Eugene, Oregon. With the lights high on Saturday evening, four men in black and green stepped onto the track with program history within reach. The Bulls’ men’s 4×400 relay team contended for a national title in the […]
Michael Kelly leaves USF with legacy of growth amongst change
Michael Kelly navigated a turbulent yet prosperous time in his eight-year tenure as USF’s athletic director, culminating in the genesis of one of the biggest developments in university history. Kelly, 54, made a lateral move to intraconference for Navy on June 4, becoming the school’s third civilian athletic director. Kelly oversaw significant advancements in USF’s […]
USF’s Vincent Ugwoke chases NCAA glory
Vincent Ugwoke stepped off a plane into a snowstorm just after midnight in Concordia, Kansas, in 2022. He’d just flown over 6,000 miles to the U.S. from Nsukka, Nigeria — alone and carrying nothing but a bag full of clothes made for the wrong weather. Three years later, the senior is one of the […]
USF’s Decarius Hawthorne inks contract with Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams officially signed former Bulls defensive tackle Decarius Hawthorne to a one-year deal on Tuesday. USF hasn’t had a player drafted since 2018 when defensive tackle Deadrin Senat and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling were picked in the third and fifth rounds by the Falcons and Packers. Hawthorne joins RJ Perry — who […]
USF’s rugby club fosters brotherhood through decades of tradition
Tomas Simon’s rugby journey didn’t start with the traditional recruitment process — it began with a casual encounter at USF. The health sciences senior was approached by a rugby club member in the USF Recreation & Wellness Center, who told him he should try out for the team. Never having played the sport before, Simon […]
USF’s athletic director Michael Kelly joins Navy in same role
USF is going through another major leadership change as Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly accepted the role of Navy’s next director of athletics. ESPN’s Pete Thamel said Kelly would formally accept the role early Wednesday. USF confirmed the news Wednesday afternoon. His departure comes just four months after university president Rhea Law announced plans […]