Birmingham, Ala. – March 13, 2026 – The University of South Florida men's basketball team will face Charlotte in the American Conference Championship semifinal on Saturday, March 14, at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Bulls arrived yesterday in Birmingham, Ala. for the 2026 American Conference Men's Basketball Championship, where the Bulls enter as the No. 1 seed.
Today, Charlotte defeated UAB in the quarterfinals by a score of 83-78 to advance to the semifinals.
South Florida only played Charlotte once this season, having come in their most recent game on March 8, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. The Bulls defeated Charlotte 83-60. Click
here for the full recap of that game.
South Florida (23-8, 15-3 American) earned a bye to the semifinal by securing the top seed in the American Conference regular season. The Bulls are currently on a nine-game win streak.
South Florida needs two wins over the next three days to claim their first American Conference Tournament championship in program history and secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulls have one previous postseason tournament championship, having won the Sun Belt in 1990.
The Championship game will take place on Sunday, March 15, at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. The NCAA's March Madness selection show will take place following the game, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
South Florida will look to go back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011-12, and for the fourth time in program history.
Tournament Format & Schedule
The 2026 American Conference Men's Basketball Championship features a 10-team, five-day stepladder bracket. As the No. 1 seed, South Florida receives a double-bye directly to Saturday's semifinals at Legacy Arena at the BJCC.
- Semifinals | Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN2
- Championship | Sunday, March 15 | 3:15 p.m. ET | ESPN
Post-game press conferences will be posted to the American Conference's
YouTube.
Tickets:
Men's basketball single-game and season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls or by visiting USFBullsTix.com.
Follow us:
Follow South Florida men's basketball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
About USF Men's Basketball
South Florida men's basketball named Bryan Hodgson, 37, as the program's 12th head coach on March 24, 2025. Hodgson came to Tampa from Arkansas State, where he led the program to back-to-back 20-win seasons and its first postseason appearance since 1999 in his two seasons at the helm.
The program, amidst its 55th season in 2025-26, captured its second regular season American Conference Championship in program history this season, finishing 23-8. Embarking on its 14th postseason appearance, South Florida has a chance for its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulls have also made nine NITs and a CBI championship in 2019. Three former Bulls – Chucky Atkins, Charlie Bradley, and Rodenko Dobras – have had their jerseys retired and are members of the USF Athletic Hall of Fame. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,400-seat Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
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#GoBulls –
