The American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament will be played at Hartford’s XL Center in March 2015, the league was set to announce on Monday.
The new conference – which counts UConn among its members – had an option to return to Memphis, site of its inaugural tournament, but was fielding strong bids from other arenas including Hartford and Orlando, Fla.
Connecticut is also host to the AAC women’s event, played in March at Mohegan Sun Arena.
After the conclusion of the men’s event in March, AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said he would come to a decision about moving within a month, The decision was made clear on Monday morning, when the league planned a 1:30 p.m. teleconference to announce the site. XL Center officials were to be a part of the call.
Aresco has said several times that he did not want to play the men’s and women’s tournaments in the same market the same year. But apparently UConn’s dual championship runs altered his thinking. Sources tell The Courant the AAC women’s tournament will remain at Mohegan Sun a second year.
By Dom Amore, Hartford Courant