RUSSELLVILLE – On Tuesday, the Great American Conference announced that Southside and Northside Arenas in Fort Smith will serve as the venues for the 2025 and 2026 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, respectively.
Both the Southside and Northside Arenas opened in 2021 and feature capacities of 2,300.
"Hosting the GAC Conference Championship not only brings visitors and spending to the Fort Smith area, it also showcases the community to potential workforce talent for future recruitment," said Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). "Events like this are more than sports. They raise the perception of the community in the eyes of thousands of people who are looking for places to play, work, and live," she continued. "It's also a great opportunity for our local community to experience high-quality sports in their own backyard."
The 2025 Championship will take place from Thursday, March 6th through Sunday, March 9th. The 2026 event will run from Thursday, March 5th through Sunday, March 8th. The tournament will feature the top eight men’s and women’s teams.
“The hospitality shown by the CVB and Fort Smith Public Schools on our site visit blew us away,” GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said. “That energy paired with the amenities that the city offers will make Fort Smith a great place for GAC basketball fans to experience postseason basketball in 2025 and 2026.”
Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Oklahoma hosted the Men’s and Women’s Championships from 2012 to 2020. The league contested the 2021 Championships across various campus sites. FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma served as the venue from 2022 through 2024.
“We are grateful to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for hosting our basketball championships at FireLake Arena the past three years,” Prewitt said. “David Qualls and the arena staff are first-rate and worked hard to give the GAC a quality experience.”
2025 GAC Basketball Championships Schedule - Games Played at Southside Arena
Thursday, March 6
Women’s Game 1: Noon – Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 vs. No. 7
Men’s Game 1: 2:15 PM – Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 vs. No. 7
Women’s Game 2: 5:45 PM – Quarterfinal #2: No. 1 vs. No. 8
Men’s Game 2: 8:00 PM – Quarterfinal #2: No. 1 vs. No. 8
Friday, March 7
Women’s Game 3: Noon – Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 vs. No. 5
Women’s Game 4: 2:15 PM – Quarterfinal #4: No. 3 vs. No. 6
Men’s Game 3: 5:45 PM – Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 vs. No. 5
Men’s Game 4: 8:00 PM – Quarterfinal #4: No. 3 vs. No. 6
Saturday, March 8
Women’s Game 5: Noon – Semifinal #1: Winner G2 vs Winner G3
Women’s Game 6: 2:15 PM – Semifinal #2: Winner G1 vs Winner G4
Men’s Game 5: 5:45 PM – Semifinal #1: Winner G2 vs Winner G3
Men’s Game 6: 8:00 PM – Semifinal #2: Winner G1 vs Winner G4
Sunday, March 9
Women’s Game 7: 1:00 PM – Final: Winner G5 vs Winner G6
Men’s Game 7: 3:30 PM – Final: Winner G5 vs Winner G6
2026 GAC Basketball Championships Schedule - Games Played at Northside Arena
Thursday, March 5
Men’s Game 1: Noon – Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 vs. No. 7
Women’s Game 1: 2:15 PM – Quarterfinal #1: No. 2 vs. No. 7
Men’s Game 2: 5:45 PM – Quarterfinal #2: No. 1 vs. No. 8
Women’s Game 2: 8:00 PM – Quarterfinal #2: No. 1 vs. No. 8
Friday, March 6
Men’s Game 3: Noon – Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 vs. No. 5
Men’s Game 4: 2:15 PM – Quarterfinal #4: No. 3 vs. No. 6
Women’s Game 3: 5:45 PM – Quarterfinal #3: No. 4 vs. No. 5
Women’s Game 4: 8:00 PM – Quarterfinal #4: No. 3 vs. No. 6
Saturday, March 7
Men’s Game 5: Noon – Semifinal #1: Winner G2 vs Winner G3
Men’s Game 6: 2:15 PM – Semifinal #2: Winner G1 vs Winner G4
Women’s Game 5: 5:45 PM – Semifinal #1: Winner G2 vs Winner G3
Women’s Game 6: 8:00 PM – Semifinal #2: Winner G1 vs Winner G4
Sunday, March 8
Men’s Game 7: 1:00 PM – Final: Winner G5 vs Winner G6
Women’s Game 7: 3:30 PM – Final: Winner G5 vs Winner G6
