GAC announces format for basketball tourneys

RUSSELLVILLE – On Wednesday, the Great American Conference announced the format for the 2021 men's and women's basketball championships.

For the first time in league history, all 12 teams will qualify for postseason play and campus sites will serve as the venues for both tournaments.

The 2021 GAC championships will begin on Monday, March 1 with a total of eight first-round matchups. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds from both the Eastern and Western Divisions will host the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively.

On Wednesday, March 3, the top two seeds will host the divisional semifinals. The top seeds will take on the winner between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The No. 2 seeds draw the winner between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds.

On Friday, March 5, the highest remaining seed will host the divisional championships.

On Sunday, March 7, the highest remaining seed will host the GAC Championship game.

The league will use a coin toss in the event two equal seeds reach the final.

“I would like to credit our athletic administrators for coming up with a unique plan during this most unique of basketball seasons, “GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt said.

Additionally, the league announced that conference games canceled due to positive tests or contact tracing would be treated as no contests.

Schools can make up contests up to the 22-game NCAA Division II limit, but those games will not count in the final standings. Win percentage will determine the final standings.