Georgia Southern and Troy Face Off in Sun Belt Tournament Final

The No. 10 seed Georgia Southern Eagles take on the No. 1 Troy Trojans for the Sun Belt championship on Monday.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Georgia Southern Eagles and Troy Trojans will meet in the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. Georgia Southern, the No. 10 seed, has advanced to the final after a series of upsets, while Troy, the No. 1 seed, is looking to claim the conference title.

Why it matters

This matchup features two teams with very different tournament trajectories. Georgia Southern has exceeded expectations by making an improbable run to the championship game as a lower seed, while Troy has lived up to its billing as the top team in the conference. The outcome will determine the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Georgia Southern, with a 21-15 overall record and 8-10 conference mark, has pulled off several upsets to reach the final, including wins over No. 7 seed Appalachian State and No. 3 seed Louisiana. Troy, meanwhile, posted a 21-11 overall record and 12-6 conference record during the regular season.

  • The Sun Belt Conference championship game will be played on Monday, March 9, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET.

The players

Georgia Southern Eagles

The No. 10 seed in the Sun Belt tournament, Georgia Southern has exceeded expectations by advancing to the championship game.

Troy Trojans

The No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt tournament, Troy is looking to claim the conference title and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

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What they’re saying

“We've worked hard all season to get to this point, and we're excited for the opportunity to compete for the Sun Belt championship.”

— Brian Burg, Head Coach, Georgia Southern Eagles (nytimes.com)

“Troy has been the team to beat in the Sun Belt all year, and we know we'll have our hands full, but we're ready for the challenge.”

— Scott Cross, Head Coach, Troy Trojans (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Georgia Southern-Troy matchup will receive the Sun Belt's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This Sun Belt championship game features a classic David vs. Goliath storyline, with the underdog Georgia Southern Eagles looking to pull off one more upset against the top-seeded Troy Trojans. The outcome will determine which team represents the conference in the NCAA Tournament.