ONE DESTINATION. FIVE YEARS.
FIVE-YEAR DEAL
The new agreement with Atlantic City and the MAAC beginning in 2027 is the most significant financial commitment and longest-term host-site contract in the history of the MAAC Basketball Championships.
The five-year term (2027-2031) aligns the Conference’s media rights agreement with the MAAC Basketball Championships host-site contract.
Multiple bids submitted through a Request for Proposal (RFP) were reviewed by the membership, following distribution to a wide range of venues across the Northeast.
UNANIMOUS SELECTION
- Atlantic City was unanimously selected by the Conference’s Council of Presidents to host the MAAC Basketball Championships for the next five (5) years, based on a combination of the following factors:
- Ability to house all 20 participating teams in two (2) resort properties
- Extensive dining and entertainment options, reinforcing Atlantic City as a destination experience for participating teams and fans
- Proximity of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment to the competition venue
- Ability to accommodate all bands and spirit squads in one (1) resort property
- Extensive hotel options for fans, with approximately 18,000 rooms available across Atlantic City
- Financial investment and resources dedicated to enhancing the championship experience for administrators, coaches, student-athletes, and fans
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
There was no desire by the membership to separate the men’s and women’s basketball championships. As part of the year-long evaluation process, multiple formats for the MAAC Basketball Championships were considered by the membership, including:
- Hosting both tournaments entirely on member institution campuses
- Hosting both tournaments at the same neutral site
- A hybrid model with early rounds on campus and semifinals and finals at a neutral site
The membership determined that hosting both tournaments at the same neutral site best aligns with the Conference’s goal of providing a high-quality and consistent championship experience for student-athletes. The membership determined that hosting both tournaments at the same neutral site best aligns with the Conference’s goal of providing a high-quality and consistent championship experience for student-athletes.
BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The 2026 MAAC Men’s Basketball Championship will mark the 45th edition of the event, which has always been held at a neutral site and hosted across seven (7) cities in the Northeast:
Albany, NY 20 East Rutherford, NJ 8 Atlantic City, NJ 7 Buffalo, NY 4 Springfield, MA 3 Bridgeport, CT 2 Trenton, NJ 1
The MAAC Women’s Basketball Championship was held on campus for six years (late 1980s – early 1990s) and has been conducted alongside the men’s tournament at a neutral site since 1992.
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall was originally selected by a unanimous vote of the MAAC Council of Presidents to host the championships from 2020 to 2022. In March 2022, the MAAC agreed to a one-year extension with the venue, paving the way for the 2023 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, followed by agreeing to a three-year extension in March 2023, allowing the championships to remain in Atlantic City from 2024 through 2026.