James Madison University’s men’s basketball team has been named the No. 9 seed for the upcoming 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Conference Championship, which will be held from March 3 to March 9 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola Beach, Florida.
The Dukes ended their regular season with a record of 17 wins and 14 losses overall, and a conference record of 9-9. The team won five out of its last six games in league play.
JMU is scheduled to play on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) against the winner of the matchup between No. 12 seed Louisiana and No. 13 seed Georgia State. The victor from that game will face No. 8 seed Southern Miss on Thursday, March 5 at the same time.
Earlier this season, JMU lost to Louisiana by three points but defeated Georgia State in both encounters. They also lost to Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.
The tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 3, with subsequent rounds taking place each day through Friday. Quarterfinals are set for Saturday, semifinals for Sunday, and the championship game is scheduled for Monday evening at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2; other games will be available via ESPN+.
Troy finished first in regular-season conference standings with a record of 12-6 and secured the top seed for the tournament. Marshall claimed the second seed after tiebreakers among six teams tied for second place; Coastal Carolina is seeded third and App State fourth.
“In three seasons in the Sun Belt Conference, JMU Men’s Basketball has appeared in at least the quarterfinals in every season,” according to JMU Athletics.
Further details about schedules and ticket availability can be found on the official championship page or through Ticketmaster.
