PROVIDENCE, R.I. – American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco announced today that the 2021 and 2022 American Women’s Basketball Championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The 2021 women’s tournament will be held March 8-11 in conjunction with the men’s championship, which is set to take place March 11-14 at Dickies Arena.
The 2020 American men’s basketball tournament was scheduled for March at Dickies Arena before its cancellation because of COVID-19. An agreement was announced in August 2017 for the championship to be held at Dickies Arena in 2020-22.
“I am pleased that both our men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held at this spectacular facility in 2021 and 2022,” Aresco said. “The city of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Sports Commission and Dickies Arena have proven to be great partners since we first announced the three-year agreement for our men’s tournament in 2017. Matt Homan and his Dickies Arena staff diligently prepared to host this past year’s men’s tournament and adapted accordingly in the midst of a quickly evolving, unprecedented situation. The efforts of Matt and his team helped us make timely decisions to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone on site. We all were disappointed that our student-athletes, coaches and fans did not have the opportunity to experience the arena firsthand in a game environment in March. I know that our men’s and women’s teams will enjoy all of the great amenities that Dickies Arena has to offer during their respective tournaments.
“Fort Worth is a vibrant, sports-minded community that is going to embrace having both of our tournaments in its city.”
The 14,000-seat arena, which opened in the Fall of 2019, features two premium club spaces, 40 suites, 32 loge boxes and a warmup arena that can stage a full practice court.
“Dickies Arena is looking forward to hosting the American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship in 2021 and 2022,” Trail Management Corp.’s Matt Homan, president and general manager of Dickies Arena, said. “We can’t wait to create an exciting atmosphere for the student-athletes during the men’s and women’s championships and to showcase Fort Worth to all college basketball fans.”
The American basketball tournaments are scheduled to be held in the same city and venue for the first time in conference history.
“We are excited to welcome the American Women’s Basketball Championship to Fort Worth and we look forward to the opportunity to provide a world-class championship experience for the players, coaches and fans,” Director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission Jason Sands said.
The 2021 women’s tournament will feature each of the league’s 11 teams in a single-elimination tournament. Three first-round games will take place on Monday, March 8, followed by four quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday, March 9. The semifinal contests will be played on Wednesday, March 10, with the championship game slated for Thursday, March 11. The American Men’s Basketball Championship will begin on March 11 with three first-round matchups that will precede the women’s title game.
Dickies Arena is located adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in the city’s Cultural District, just 10 minutes from downtown Fort Worth. Six of The American’s 11 members are located within driving distance of Fort Worth, while the other five members have direct flight options to the metropolitan area.
2021 American Athletic Conference Basketball Championship Expected Schedule
March 8
Women – Session 1
Game 1: No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 2: No. 10 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Game 3: No. 11 seed vs. No. 6 seed
March 9
Women – Session 2
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 seed
Game 5: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed
Women – Session 3
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 2 seed
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 3 seed
March 10
Women – Session 4
Game 8: Semifinal 1, Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 9: Semifinal 2, Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7
March 11
Men – Session 1
Game 1: No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 2: No. 10 seed vs. No. 7 seed
Game 3: No. 11 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Women – Session 5
Game 10: Championship, Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9
March 12
Men – Session 2
Game 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 seed
Game 5: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed
Men – Session 3
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 2 seed
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 3 seed
March 13
Men – Session 4
Game 8: Semifinal 1, Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Game 9: Semifinal 2, Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7
March 14
Men – Session 5
Game 10: Championship, Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9
THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The American Athletic Conference (The American), a member of the NCAA, was reconstituted in 2013. With the conference office in Providence, Rhode Island, The American is comprised of the following institutions: UCF, Cincinnati, ECU, Houston, Memphis, Navy (in football only), USF, SMU, Temple, Tulane and Tulsa. Wichita State (basketball and Olympic sports) joined the Conference on July 1, 2017. Under the leadership of Commissioner Mike Aresco, The American sponsors 22 championships – 10 for men and 12 for women; is a member of the College Football Playoff; has television partnerships with ESPN and CBS Sports; in the spring of 2019, signed a landmark television agreement with ESPN that commences in 2020-21; and has a marketing partnership with Learfield. For more information, please visit www.TheAmerican.org.
ABOUT DICKIES ARENA
Dickies Arena is a 14,000-seat, spectacular multipurpose venue located adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The facility is the result of a pioneering public-private partnership between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, the State of Texas and a group of private-sector participants, including foundations, individuals and organizations. The arena is owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by the not-for-profit operating entity, Trail Drive Management Corp. (TDMC). The state-of-the-art arena hosts concerts, sporting events and family entertainment, and is home to Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo performances. For more information, visit www.DickiesArena.com.
ABOUT THE FORT WORTH SPORTS COMMISSION
The Fort Worth Sports Commission advances the city as an international sports destination. A division of Visit Fort Worth, the Sports Commission attracts youth, collegiate and professional events that deliver economic impact and boost Fort Worth’s image. The Commission supports development of and access to facilities that enhance the quality of life for all Fort Worth. For more information, visit www.FortWorth.com/Sports.
ABOUT VISIT FORT WORTH
Visit Fort Worth is the official destination marketing organization of the 13th-largest city in the United States, dedicated to promoting Fort Worth as a premier business and leisure destination with thriving centers of creativity, culture and commerce. Visit Fort Worth is the parent organization of The Fort Worth Herd, the Fort Worth Film Commission, Fort Worth Sports Commission and music initiative Hear Fort Worth.
