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NEW ORLEANS\u00a0\u2013 The Sun Belt has partnered with Pensacola Sports, the designated sports tourism agency for Escambia County, to make Visit Pensacola the title sponsor of the Sun Belt Basketball Championships and the presenting sponsor of the Sun Belt Football Championship Game.\u00a0 \u201cPensacola Sports is thrilled to have been able to facilitate this agreement\u00a0between the Sun Belt Conference and Escambia County,\u201d said Pensacola Sports President & CEO Ray Palmer. \u201cThe opportunity to grow the tremendous relationship\u00a0with the conference beyond basketball is exciting and promotes our world class destination across their footprint\u00a0of amazing institutions and beyond. We look forward to welcoming their athletes, students, alumni and fans to Escambia County.\u201d
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\n\u201cThe Sun Belt Conference is excited to deepen our relationship with Pensacola and Escambia County,\u201d said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. \u201cJust as the Pensacola community has embraced the rising brand of the Sun Belt, we look forward to the showcasing The Way to Beach across two of our marquee Sun Belt championship events.\u201d\u00a0
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\nThe city of Pensacola, Fla., will host the 2026-2030 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Basketball Championships<\/a>, building upon the league\u2019s initial five-year agreement that brought the championships to Pensacola from 2021-2025. During that span, the Sun Belt has grown from 12 to 14 members and earned its first NCAA March Madness victory since 2016, when the No. 12-seeded James Madison men upset No. 5-seeded Wisconsin, 72-61, in 2024. The landmark extension made Pensacola the longest-tenured (2021-2030) and most-frequent (10-time) host of the Sun Belt Basketball Championships all-time.\u00a0
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\nThe Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola annually features the champions of the conference\u2019s East and West Divisions and is played at the site of the divisional winner with the best overall conference record. ESPN has televised the game since its inception in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cWe are excited to expand our partnership with the Sun Belt Conference and continue hosting top championship events in Pensacola,\u201d said Visit Pensacola President & CEO Darien Schaefer. \u201cThis opportunity not only deepens our dedication to college sports but also enhances our ability to promote Pensacola as The Way to Beach\u2014where top-tier athletics, welcoming hospitality and lively Gulf Coast experiences come together. We\u2019re proud to keep building on this momentum with the Sun Belt Conference.\u201d
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\nThe 2025 Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Game presented by Visit Pensacola will be contested on Dec. 5, 2025.\u00a0
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\nThe 2026 Visit Pensacola Sun Belt Basketball Championships will take place from March 3-9, 2026, with all tournament games being played at the Pensacola Bay Center.\u00a0
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\nAbout Pensacola Sports<\/a>
\nPensacola Sports is one of the oldest sports associations\/commissions in the United States, beginning in 1955.\u00a0Pensacola Sports manages or assists in numerous events a year throughout the Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County areas, and is the lead sports tourism agency for Escambia County.\u00a0Events include a high school all-star series, 5K-15K runs, marathons, triathlons, soccer and softball tournaments, collegiate national championships, fishing tournaments and scholarship banquets to name a few.\u00a0Pensacola Sports is dedicated to building a better community through sports. Be Moved!
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\nAbout Visit Pensacola<\/a>
\nVisit Pensacola is the destination marketing organization for Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. With over 460 years of rich history and nearly 40 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordered by the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, visitors from all over the world are lured to our pristine shores every year. Visit Pensacola supports the community vision of tourism by serving as the central body responsible for building tourism as an economic engine for our community through leadership, connection, collaboration and communication.
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\nAbout Escambia County<\/a>
\nHome to more than 300,000 residents, Escambia County is the westernmost and one of the oldest counties in Florida. The mission of Escambia County government is to provide efficient, responsive services that enhance our quality of life, meet common needs and promote a safe and healthy community. Escambia County is governed by the five-member Board of County Commissioners, which serves as the legislative and policy-setting body for the county. District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry currently serves as the Chairman of the BCC. To learn more about Escambia County government and the services we provide to our residents, visit\u00a0MyEscambia.com<\/a>.
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