NASSAU, Bahamas – For the second consecutive year, the Belmont University women's basketball team will play in a prestigious MTE (multi-team event) in the Bahamas. The Bruins are headed back to the beautiful Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort for the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, Thanksgiving weekend.
Announced by veteran sports promoter bdG Sports Tuesday afternoon, the two-day, six-team non-conference tournament will be held at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center on Friday, Nov. 27 and Sunday, Nov. 29. Along with Belmont, the MTE field features USC, Iowa State, Illinois, Marquette and Saint Joseph's.
The Bruins will close out both days of the tournament, taking on Iowa State on Friday, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET and facing Marquette to conclude the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET.
It will be the first-ever meeting between Belmont and the Cyclones, while the Bruins and the Golden Eagles will play for the third time and first since December 2020.
Iowa State has made each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments, including reaching the Sweet 16 in 2022. The Cyclones went 22-10 last season and were a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Marquette went 18-12 last year and tied for third in the BIG EAST Conference after reaching the second round of the 2025 WBIT.
Once again constructing one of the most impressive non-conference schedules in the nation, Belmont will see eight teams who reached national postseason play last March, including five 2026 NCAA Tournament teams (Princeton, Tennessee, LSU, Iowa State, Vanderbilt) and 2026 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) champion Columbia. Nine of the Bruins' 12 non-conference opponents were ranked in the top 100 of last year's NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, including six who were in the top 50 – LSU (No. 3), Vanderbilt (No. 7), Tennessee (No. 25), Iowa State (No. 33), Princeton (No. 37) and Columbia (No. 45).
Additionally, 11 of Belmont's 12 non-conference opponents this season had a winning record in 2025-26 and seven reached at least 20 wins.
The Bruins will be competing in a highly-competitive MTE for the fifth-straight year. Last November, Belmont took part in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship where the Bruins faced Ohio State and McNeese State.
Under 10th-year head coach
Bart Brooks, Belmont is 25-20 in neutral-site games.
Fan VIP packages for the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship are on sale now and include a four-night stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, one courtside ticket per individual to the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship, one ticket per individual to the event's VIP reception on Saturday, Nov. 28 with dinner and an open bar included, round-trip ground transfers to and from the airport, one daily breakfast voucher per individual, one welcome gift per individual, and personal concierge service.
(Airfare is not included in the packages. A passport is required for travel to the Bahamas.) Fans wishing to purchase general admission tickets and hotel rooms separately from the VIP packages can do so now at
BahaMarHoops.com.
"This event continues to grow the game of women's college basketball and this strong field features some of the best brands in the game," college basketball analyst and event contributor Debbie Antonelli said. "I'm really excited to watch these programs compete this November."
Streaming details for the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship will be announced later.
Over the last 10 seasons, the Bruins are the winningest team in the state of Tennessee with a 72.1 winning percentage (222-86).
Belmont has recorded seven national postseason wins over the last six seasons, including two NCAA Tournament round of 32 appearances in 2021 and 2022 and a run to the 2025 WBIT championship game.
The Bruins are one of only seven programs in the nation to have won 10 or more conference championships (regular season and tournament combined) over the last 10 seasons – UConn (20), Florida Gulf Coast (16), South Carolina (14), Princeton (12), South Dakota State (12), Belmont (11) and Green Bay (10).
Belmont is also one of only seven programs in the country to have won 20-plus games for 11-straight seasons. UConn, South Carolina, Baylor, Iowa, NC State and South Dakota State are the others.
Wonder Awaits at the Beautiful Baha Mar Resort
The remarkable Baha Mar resort serves as the backdrop to this basketball showcase. Anchored by Grand Hyatt and featuring SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar, the resort is situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau's famous turquoise ocean waters. The destination resort boasts more than 2,300 rooms, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a $200 million luxury water park, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean's first and only flagship ESPA Spa, a new jazz club, and a collection of more than 45 restaurants and lounges.
About Maha Mar Hoops
Baha Mar annually plays host to one of the largest regular-season events in the sport of college basketball. Each November around the Thanksgiving holiday, 16 or more NCAA Division I men's and women's teams visit the stunning resort to compete in three basketball tournaments.
Each August, the resort also holds the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, offering NCAA teams exhibition games against international competition as part of a foreign tour. The resort welcomed an event-record six teams to Baha Mar last month, including Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Valparaiso. Past programs to attend for summer exhibition tours include Kentucky, Penn State, Rhode Island and Xavier.
Baha Mar Hoops Social Tags
Keep up to date with the latest information regarding Bah Mar Hoops via social media at @BahaMarHoops on
X, formerly Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook.
About bdG Sports
bdG Sports is a sports and entertainment leader with a dynamic and ever-growing event management portfolio with a cornerstone in basketball and professional golf and an expansive focus toward baseball. The firm boasts an event schedule that has delivered significant economic impact to multiple communities throughout North America and the Caribbean while featuring broadcasts to viewers across the globe.
Season Tickets
Basketball season tickets, which include all Belmont women's and men's home games, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting
BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
Bruin Club memberships are also available.
How to Follow
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media -
@BelmontWBB on X, formerly Twitter,
@belmontwbb on Instagram and
Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the
official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
#ItsBruinTime
