What Is 2020 ASUN men's basketball tournament

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Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2020 ASUN men's basketball tournament was canceled on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just after the quarterfinals began. It was scheduled to conclude on March 15, 2020, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Key Facts

2020 ASUN Tournament was canceled on March 12, 2020, amid the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
Quarterfinal games had already started, with Lipscomb defeating NJIT 85–75.
The tournament champion was to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Stetson was the regular-season champion but did not win the tournament.
The event was set to conclude on March 15, 2020, at the Edmunds Center in Fort Myers, Florida.

Overview

The 2020 ASUN men's basketball tournament was the postseason championship for the ASUN Conference, designed to determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. Scheduled to run from March 5 to March 15, 2020, it featured 12 teams competing in a single-elimination format across multiple sites.

However, the tournament was abruptly canceled on March 12, 2020, following the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The decision came after the first round of quarterfinals, making it one of the first major collegiate events to be called off as the NCAA and other sports organizations followed suit.

Lipscomb defeated NJIT 85–75 in the first quarterfinal game on March 11, marking the only completed playoff game before cancellation.
Stetson University earned the No. 1 seed by winning the regular-season title with a 14–4 conference record, their first since joining the ASUN.
The tournament format included 12 teams, with seeds 5 through 12 playing in the first round, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship.
Edmunds Center in Fort Myers, Florida was set to host the semifinals and final, a neutral site chosen to centralize the later rounds.
North Florida was the defending tournament champion, having won the 2019 ASUN title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

How It Works

The ASUN men's basketball tournament follows a structured single-elimination format that rewards regular-season performance with seeding advantages. Below are key components that define how the tournament operates and how teams qualify.

Format: The tournament includes 12 teams from the ASUN Conference, with the top four seeds receiving byes into the quarterfinals.
Seeding: Teams are seeded based on their regular-season conference records, with tiebreakers used when necessary to determine rankings.
First Round: Seeds 5 through 12 play in the first round, with matchups determined by conference standings and head-to-head results.
Quarterfinals: Winners from the first round join the top four seeds in the quarterfinals, held at campus sites of higher seeds.
Semifinals and Final: The final rounds were scheduled for March 14–15, 2020, at a predetermined neutral site, the Edmunds Center.
NCAA Bid: The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, regardless of regular-season performance.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 2020 ASUN Tournament compared to previous editions in terms of structure and outcomes:

Year	Champion	Final Location	Games Completed	Notable Outcome
2019	North Florida	Daytona Beach, FL	All games played	North Florida earned NCAA bid
2018	Lipscomb	Fort Myers, FL	Full tournament	Lipscomb’s first ASUN title
2017	Florida Gulf Coast	Ft. Myers, FL	Full tournament	FGCU won third title in five years
2016	Florida Gulf Coast	Fort Myers, FL	Full tournament	FGCU defeated Stetson in final
2020	Canceled	Multiple sites	One quarterfinal completed	No champion declared due to pandemic

This table highlights the unprecedented nature of the 2020 tournament, which stands out due to its cancellation. Unlike prior years, no champion was crowned, and the NCAA bid was not awarded, marking a historic disruption in college basketball.

Why It Matters

The cancellation of the 2020 ASUN Tournament had significant implications for student-athletes, institutions, and the broader landscape of collegiate sports. It served as a precursor to the mass cancellation of spring athletic events and underscored the vulnerability of sports to public health crises.

End of season dreams were cut short for teams like Stetson and Lipscomb, who had strong seasons and championship aspirations.
No automatic NCAA bid was awarded, leaving ASUN teams out of the 2020 NCAA Tournament despite strong regular-season performances.
Financial losses occurred for host institutions and the conference due to lost ticket sales, sponsorships, and broadcast revenue.
Precedent for safety was set, as the ASUN’s early cancellation influenced the NCAA’s decision to cancel all winter and spring championships.
Impact on seniors was profound, as many players completed their college careers without a postseason finale.
Shift to virtual operations began across college athletics, accelerating the adoption of remote team management and fan engagement strategies.

The 2020 ASUN Tournament remains a pivotal moment in college sports history, symbolizing both the fragility of athletic schedules and the resilience required to adapt in times of crisis.