CUSA Championships: Everything you need to know before MTSU basketball tips off in Huntsville

Gametimes, where to watch and betting favorites for the Conference USA Tournament.

Brett Walker, Sports editor • March 12, 2025

Essam Mostafa goes up for two against UTEP in the Murphy Center on Feb. 1, 2025.

It’s tournament time for MTSU basketball as both the men’s and women’s programs are getting ready for the Conference USA Basketball Championships.

Before the madness begins, here’s everything you need to know.

Time and place

MTSU women’s basketball comes into the week as the No. 2 seed and is set to face No. 7 Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 12, at 2 p.m. CDT.

MTSU men’s basketball comes in as the No. 3 seed and is set to face No. 6 Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 13, at 8 p.m. CDT.

The entirety of the CUSA Basketball Championships is housed in Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama. To see the full tournament brackets click here.

Where to watch

What good is a college basketball tournament if it can’t be watched from home? Fortunately for fans, students, faculty and casuals alike, all games are available on streaming platforms. The first round and quarterfinals can be streamed on ESPN+, while the semifinals and championships are set to air on CBS Sports Network.

Jalynn Gregory leaps to put the ball in the basket in the Murphy Center on Feb. 6, 2025.

Betting favorites

On the women’s side, the Lady Raiders are given a 96.8% chance to beat Kennesaw State, according to ESPN Analytics.

The Lady Raiders defeated the Owls in both regular season meetings this year, winning by a combined 45 points.

On the men’s side, the Blue Raiders are given a 49.7% chance to beat Louisiana Tech, according to ESPN Analytics.

In championship odds, Middle Tennessee sits behind Liberty with the second-best odds to win the tournament at +600 according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The regular season CUSA champ Flames are the heavy favorite to win it all at +130.

If you or someone you know suffers from a gambling addiction, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

To contact the Sports editor, email [email protected].

Follow Sidelines on Facebook at Facebook.com/MTSUSidelines, on X @mtsusidelines and Instagram @mtsusidelines. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.

About the Contributor

Brett Walker, Managing Editor

I lead sports coverage for MTSU Sidelines. I’m the biggest football fan you’ll ever meet, even though I played tennis in high school. In my free time, you can catch me with my family, going to church or losing to my friends in Madden.