More basketball will be coming to Alabama.

The American Athletic Conference announced on Friday that its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham in 2026.

The 2027 and 2028 championships will be held at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida; they were held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, last year.

This marks the first times Birmingham and Tampa will host the championships.

“We are thrilled to bring our basketball championships to Birmingham and Tampa,” AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti said in a release. “Our top priority when we began this bid process was to deliver the best possible experience for our student-athletes.

“The ability of Birmingham and Tampa to accommodate both championships and the year-round support that we will receive from their respective local committees will help to make these events an unforgettable experience for our players and fans.”

The announcement comes after Legacy Arena hosted the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament and the SEC women’s gymnastics championships.

Legacy Arena has also hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament and will have NCAA tournament games return in 2028.

The event space hosts the AHSAA basketball state semifinals and championships every year as well.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome the American Athletic Conference to Legacy Arena,” BJCC executive director & CEO Tad Snider wrote in a release. “With the recent NCAA Women’s Regionals, the 2023 Men’s First and Second Rounds, and another set of Men’s Rounds scheduled for 2028, Birmingham has firmly established itself as a premier destination for championship basketball.

“We’re proud to showcase our vibrant city and world-class venue, and we look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience for student-athletes, fans, and the entire American Athletic Conference community.”

The announcement makes Birmingham the second city in Alabama to host Division I championship tournaments, with Huntsville hosting the Conference USA tournaments at Propst Arena.

Memphis claimed last season’s AAC men’s basketball championship with an 84–72 victory over UAB, while South Florida’s women downed Rice with a 69-62 win for its second championship.

UAB’s men claimed the AAC championship in 2024 with an 85–69 victory over Temple; the Blazers’ women have not won an AAC championship.

UConn’s women, now in the Big East, have won the most AAC tournament championships (7); South Florida has the most among current members with two.

Memphis leads all current men’s teams with two AAC tournament championships with two, while Cincinnati, Houston and SMU — no longer members — have also won two apiece.