Allen Just Booked a Division I Basketball Championship for Three Straight Years

Allen will host a Division I conference basketball championship next March, and then again the two years after that.

The United Athletic Conference has selected Credit Union of Texas Event Center as the site of its men's and women's basketball tournaments for three seasons, beginning with 2026-27. The first is scheduled for March 10 to 14, 2027.

Who is coming

The UAC's basketball membership is spread across five states: Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Little Rock, North Alabama, Tarleton State, UT Arlington and West Georgia.

Two of those are Texas schools within driving distance, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State, and UT Arlington is closer still. The rest travel, which is the part that matters to the city.

Why a city bids for this

A conference tournament is five days of games with two brackets running, which means visiting teams, coaching staffs, officials, families and fans occupying hotel rooms and restaurants in late winter, a season with little else drawing people to Allen.

It also puts the arena's name into television and streaming coverage of a Division I championship, repeated over three years rather than once. Cities generally value the repetition more than any single weekend.

The venue itself carries the name of a local employer: Credit Union of Texas employs roughly 580 people in Allen, according to the city's annual comprehensive financial report, which places it among the city's larger private employers.

The dates

The 2027 tournaments run March 10 to 14. The conference has committed to Allen through the 2028-29 season.

Sources

https://acusports.com/news/2026/8/20/mens-basketball-uac-mens-and-womens-basketball-tournaments-to-be-hosted-in-allen-texas

https://visitallentexas.com/blog/allen-selected-to-host-united-athletic-conference-basketball-tournaments/