About the American Conference Tournament
The conference tournament began in 2014 following
the reorganization of the original Big East Conference. The league
was known as the American Athletic Conference from
its formation through the 2024-25 season.
Beginning in 2025-26, the league shortened its name
to the American Conference.
The tournament is played as a single-elimination event, with the
winner receiving the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament.
The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic
before a champion could be crowned.
American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Champions
| Year |
Champion |
Score |
Runner-Up |
Most Outstanding Player |
Venue |
| 2014 |
Louisville * |
71-61 |
Connecticut |
Russ Smith, Louisville |
FedExForum — Memphis, Tennessee |
| 2015 |
SMU |
62-54 |
Connecticut |
Markus Kennedy, SMU |
XL Center — Hartford, Connecticut |
| 2016 |
Connecticut |
72-58 |
Memphis |
Daniel Hamilton, Connecticut |
Amway Center — Orlando, Florida |
| 2017 |
SMU |
71-56 |
Cincinnati |
Semi Ojeleye, SMU |
XL Center — Hartford, Connecticut |
| 2018 |
Cincinnati |
56-55 |
Houston |
Gary Clark, Cincinnati |
Amway Center — Orlando, Florida |
| 2019 |
Cincinnati |
69-57 |
Houston |
Jarron Cumberland, Cincinnati |
FedExForum — Memphis, Tennessee |
| 2020 |
Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
| 2021 |
Houston |
91-54 |
Cincinnati |
Quentin Grimes, Houston |
Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2022 |
Houston |
71-53 |
Memphis |
Fabian White Jr., Houston |
Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2023 |
Memphis |
75-65 |
Houston |
Kendric Davis, Memphis |
Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2024 |
UAB |
85-69 |
Temple |
Yaxel Lendeborg, UAB |
Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2025 |
Memphis |
84-72 |
UAB |
PJ Haggerty, Memphis |
Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, Texas |
| 2026 |
South Florida |
70-55 |
Wichita State |
Wes Enis, South Florida |
Legacy Arena at the BJCC — Birmingham, Alabama |
* Louisville's 2014 tournament championship was later vacated by the
NCAA.
Tournament Championships by School
| School |
Titles |
Championship Years |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up Years |
| Cincinnati |
2 |
2018, 2019 |
2 |
2017, 2021 |
| Houston |
2 |
2021, 2022 |
3 |
2018, 2019, 2023 |
| SMU |
2 |
2015, 2017 |
0 |
— |
| Memphis |
2 |
2023, 2025 |
2 |
2016, 2022 |
| Louisville * |
1 |
2014 |
0 |
— |
| Connecticut |
1 |
2016 |
2 |
2014, 2015 |
| UAB |
1 |
2024 |
1 |
2025 |
| South Florida |
1 |
2026 |
0 |
— |
| Temple |
0 |
— |
1 |
2024 |
| Wichita State |
0 |
— |
1 |
2026 |
American Conference Tournament Facts
First tournament: 2014
First tournament champion: Louisville
Most tournament championships:
Cincinnati, Houston, SMU and Memphis — 2 each
Largest championship-game victory:
Houston defeated Cincinnati 91-54 in 2021, a 37-point margin.
Closest championship game:
Cincinnati defeated Houston 56-55 in 2018.
Most recent champion:
South Florida defeated Wichita State 70-55 in 2026.
Most recent Most Outstanding Player:
Wes Enis of South Florida in 2026.
2020 tournament:
Canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conference Name Change
The league competed as the American Athletic Conference
from 2013 through the 2024-25 athletic year.
In July 2025, the conference officially shortened its name to the
American Conference. The 2026 tournament was the first
men's basketball championship played under the new conference name.
