The Pac-12 Conference announced that its men's and women's basketball tournaments will return to Las Vegas for the 2026‑27 and 2027‑28 seasons, making the MGM Grand Garden Arena the central venue for the championship events.
A Revived Format
Both tournaments will span eight games across five days, with the women's bracket kicking off each day before the men's slate begins. All nine member institutions will take part, starting with a play‑in game that pits the two lowest seeds against each other on the opening day.
Seeding privileges will be awarded to the top two teams in each division, granting them double byes into the semifinals, while the third and fourth seeds receive a first‑round bye. The remaining teams will contest opening‑round matchups before the quarterfinals, semifinals and ultimately the championship games.
Championship contests for both the men's and women's brackets are slated for March 13, ensuring a concentrated finale that will crown conference champions in back‑to‑back evenings.
Broadcast Landscape
The men's tournament will be carried live on USA Network and CBS, with the title game also streamed on Paramount+. Meanwhile, the women's tournament will air on The CW, highlighting its semifinal and championship contests on the network.
Details regarding the first five games and three rounds of the women's bracket will be announced in the coming weeks, promising additional programming decisions and scheduling nuances as the conference finalizes its broadcast strategy.