SBC BB: Championship in Montgomery through 2030

[NewsCopy]

The Sun Belt Conference announced that the city of Montgomery, Ala., has been selected to host the 2026-2030 Sun Belt Baseball Championships, as part of the league's ongoing partnership with the Central Alabama Sports Commission and the City of Montgomery.

The five-year extension builds on an initial five-year agreement that brought the Sun Belt Baseball Championship to Montgomery from 2021-25. During that span, the Sun Belt has grown from 12 to 14 members and joined the SEC, ACC and Big 12 as 1-of-4 conferences to send four-or-more teams to NCAA Baseball Regionals in each of the past three seasons.

Over the past four years, the Sun Belt has sent 13 teams to NCAA Baseball Regionals, with nine advancing to their respective regional finals. In 2023, Southern Miss became the first Sun Belt baseball program to advance to a Super Regional since Louisiana did so in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015.

"The Sun Belt Conference is excited to extend our partnership with the Central Alabama Sports Commission and the City of Montgomery," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. "Our student-athletes, coaches and fans have established traditions around starting the Road to Omaha in Montgomery—a community that has embraced the rising brand of Sun Belt baseball."

The landmark extension will make Montgomery, Ala., the longest-tenured (2021-30) and second-most frequent (10-time) host of the Sun Belt Baseball Championship—trailing only Mobile, Ala., home to 13-time Sun Belt tournament champion South Alabama.

"Montgomery is proud to continue our partnership with the Sun Belt Conference, keeping the Sun Belt Baseball Tournament right here in the Capital of Dreams through 2030," said City of Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. "This extension reaffirms our city's reputation as a premier destination for championship events, bringing economic impact, tourism, and excitement to our community. We look forward to welcoming teams, fans, and visitors for years to come."

The 2025 Sun Belt Baseball Championship will take place from May 20-25, 2025, will all tournament games being played at Riverwalk Stadium—home to the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate Montgomery Biscuits since opening in 2004. All tournament games will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN+.

Southern Miss enters the 2025 season as the two-time defending tournament champion, having won both Sun Belt Baseball Championships it has participated in.

The Sun Belt has been a multi-bid conference in 29-of-35 seasons since 1989 and has earned four regional berths on six occasions since 2000, including each of the past three campaigns. It has also been home to nine Top 100 RPI programs in each of the past three seasons.

Louisiana Athletics
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[Esqueleto]

Gross

[cajunref]

Exactly. Wish they could have worked out an agreement with minor league club in Pensacola.

[CAJUNSby90]

Exactly. Wish they could have worked out an agreement with minor league club in Pensacola.

Pensacola wouldve been nice. Could make a beach trip out of it with the family

[RaginScotsman]

"This extension reaffirms our city's reputation as a premier destination for championship events, bringing economic impact, tourism, and excitement to our community. We look forward to welcoming teams, fans, and visitors for years to come."

Not sure what other cities were in the running, if any, but Montgomery does not come to mind when you think of a destination. I've never been so not saying it's bad from experience but seeing feedback from Sun Belt fans over the past few years, it's not overly positive.

I can't imagine there is that much of an economic impact either. Just looking at last year's attendance, a lot of games were in the 400s. The only game to break 1,000 was the championship. So, that's 1 day of a slight influx and most came from USM so that's a day trip.

[moorecajun]

Pensacola wouldve been nice. Could make a beach trip out of it with the family

We did that back in Coach Deg's first season; awesome trip! You could see the team starting to come together there; too bad the chinese flu started then.

[GeauxCajuns]

I can't believe UL and Maggard let this happen. Actually, I can, they ruin everything.

[Esqueleto]

I can't believe UL and Maggard let this happen. Actually, I can, they ruin everything.

Yeah, exactly

[UL_Cajuns]

Let the #1 seed host the tournament or just rotate it to teams that are qualified to host it.

[CAJUNSby90]

Let the #1 seed host the tournament or just rotate it to teams that are qualified to host it.

So aka never Monroe

[CAJUNSby90]

I can't believe UL and Maggard let this happen. Actually, I can, they ruin everything.

It's Sodexo's fault, probably.

[UL_Cajuns]

It's Sodexo's fault, probably.

Will they run out of water at the SBC Baseball tournament ???