C-USA Basketball Tournament Moving to Frisco, Texas

Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod announced today the 2018 and 2019 Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships will be hosted at Ford Center at The Star, in partnership with the University of North Texas, the Dallas Cowboys and Visit Frisco.

“We are really excited about the Conference USA Championships moving to Frisco,” said UTEP men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd. “It’s the second-most ideal location for us outside of El Paso. With our fans being able to drive to Dallas, plus the large alumni base that we have all over the state, we would hope for a tremendous turnout of UTEP supporters.”

“Frisco is a great venue for the Conference USA Championships,” said UTEP women’s basketball coach Kevin Baker. “The quality of basketball that will be on display is reason enough to attend, but Frisco also offers a tremendous geographic location with restaurants and hotels all within walking distance of the arena. It’s a terrific place for student-athletes and fans to have a memorable experience.”

Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star will be the presenting sponsor of the 2018 C-USA Basketball Championships, which are scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, with all 22 games – 11 men’s and 11 women’s games – being held at The Star. The conference champions receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

"We are excited to have our men’s and women’s basketball teams compete at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco," MacLeod said. “This unique setting within an outstanding venue and a thriving area will truly add to the championship experience of our student-athletes and fans."

The University of North Texas boasts nearly 120,000 alumni within the four Texas counties of Dallas, Denton, Collin and Tarrant. More than 25,000 total alums from the other 13 C-USA member schools also reside within that area.

“We are always looking to bring new experiences to student-athletes, their families and fans with our state-of-the-art facilities. Conference USA’s basketball tournament is a great opportunity to showcase the versatility of Ford Center as well as what The Star and the City of Frisco have to offer,” said Dallas Cowboys Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jerry Jones, Jr.

“As we look to spring 2018 to open Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research, we’re thrilled to be part of these tournaments,” said LaVone Arthur, Chief Integration Officer and Senior Vice President of Business Development, Baylor Scott & White Health. “The facility will neighbor Ford Center where these games take place, and will work to keep athletes healthy and playing at their highest levels.”

Frisco will be the eighth location to host the C-USA Men’s Basketball Championship and the 13th host city for the C-USA Women’s Basketball Championship. Conference USA has hosted two women’s basketball tournaments within the Metroplex area as the 2006 C-USA Championship was held at SMU’s Moody Coliseum in Dallas and the 2004 C-USA Championship was in Fort Worth at TCU’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

“We are excited to host the Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships,” said Frisco Mayor Maher Maso. “Frisco is a great location for these games because our community is active, collaborative and sport-centric. We’re also a fast growing community and extremely proud of the world-class facilities we have available to host events such as this. Hosting the Conference USA Men's & Women's Basketball Championships enhances our reputation as a tourist and sports destination while providing entertainment and economic benefits for our residents.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the city of Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys to bring the Conference USA basketball tournament to DFW,” said Wren Baker, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics at North Texas. “I believe the venue and experiences coupled with high quality teams will provide an incredible opportunity for people in the region to participate actively in March Madness. UNT looks forward to working with Conference USA to make the tournament special for fans as well as participating student-athletes and coaches.”

Ticket information will be announced this fall and more information is available at www.ConferenceUSA.com.