HARTFORD, Conn. -- The American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament will return to Hartford's XL Center in 2017 after the second year of a two-year agreement with the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, had to be postponed to 2018 because the site will host NCAA tournament games next year, multiple AAC officials confirmed to ESPN on Thursday night.
AAC officials, including commissioner Mike Aresco, met with the XL Center prior to UConn's 68-62 victory over SMU on Thursday.
The Hartford Courant reported earlier Thursday that the move back to Hartford was likely. League officials confirmed to ESPN an announcement will be made next week once the contract is finalized between the conference and the XL Center.
The AAC held its second tournament at the XL Center in 2015 after an inaugural tournament in Memphis in 2014. The tournament will be held at the Amway Center next month.
The NCAA then awarded 2017 first- and second-round games to the Amway Center after the conference had agreed to a two-year deal with the facility, forcing the move to Hartford in 2017.