PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Atlantic 10 Conference will celebrate 50 years in Pittsburgh in 2026.
The league announcing it decided after its Annual Spring Meetings it will bring the 2026 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball championship back to Pittsburgh and PPG Paints Arena. They also will go back to the traditional five-day format, whereas last year they had an off-day in the middle.
“We are excited to return to Pittsburgh in 2026 to celebrate the league’s history in a city that was integral to the beginning of the Atlantic 10,” said A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade in a release by the league. “Pittsburgh is an amazing city with a very rich sports history. It has previously been a tremendous host for the A-10 Championship, both in 2017, and in the first six years of the conference.”
From 1978-1982, the Atlantic 10 championships were held in the Civic Arena and then returned in 2017 where Rhode Island won the title under now two-time UConn head coach Dan Hurley. The first league championship was won by Duquesne in 1977 in Philadelphia. The meetings for the formation of the old Eastern 8 happened in Pittsburgh in 1976.
“We’re excited to welcome the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship back to Pittsburgh, especially for its milestone anniversary in 2026,” SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins said in a release by the Atlantic 10. “Of course, Pittsburghers will flock to cheer on the Dukes with hopes of another championship title, but we also invite other fans, friends and families to join us to support their teams and experience the comradery that we pride ourselves on along with all our city has to offer.”