BOSTON — Championship Week is coming to the America East Conference. The conference announced on Thursday a format for its 2021 basketball championships that prioritizes health and safety while also giving each of its eligible basketball teams a championship experience and a shot at qualifying for the NCAA tournaments.
 
The format for the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Men's and Women's Basketball Championships was unanimously approved by the conference's Administration Group on Wednesday and endorsed by the league's Executive Committee.
 
Details of the championship format, which will begin the first week of March and be played over two weeks at multiple campus sites, include:

• All eligible teams will qualify for the championship provided they have completed at least 12 Division I contests by the end of the regular season.
• The championships will be divided into two phases: Playoff Pods and Championship Week.
• The top two seeds will earn automatic byes into the semifinals to be held during Championship Week hosted at a predetermined campus site (one site for men and a separate site for women).
• The remaining teams will compete in Playoff Pods the week prior with the #3 and #4 seeds serving as Playoff Pod hosts.
• The balance of each pod could be filled true to seed or by geographic proximity. Teams will not move more than one seed line when filling out the bracket.
• Each Playoff Pod champion will advance to Championship Week, setting up the conference's final four teams to battle for the league title with both semifinals and the championship game at the same site.
• The women's championship game will be on Friday, March 12 and will be televised nationally on ESPNU at 5 p.m.
• The men's championship game is on Saturday, March 13 and will be carried on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.

"Throughout the season, we've prioritized the health and safety of our student-athletes and coaches while best positioning our teams to maximize their competition opportunities during this unique season. This championship format is consistent with those guiding principles and rewards all of our student-athletes with a championship experience after an exciting but challenging regular season," America East Commissioner Amy Huchthausen said. "I applaud our administrators for developing this creative and inclusive format in a collaborative and thoughtful manner."
 
The championship structure was constructed with the NCAA Championship requirements in mind and will allow the conference to facilitate administration of daily COVID-19 testing during the league's Championship Week that satisfies NCAA prearrival testing protocols heading into Indianapolis and San Antonio. The format will also reduce team travel and exposure for participants.
 
"While our playoff format has been a great success the last several years, this year calls for something different and these measures will best position our teams from a health and safety perspective," Huchthausen said. "It's critical that we balance the competitive aspects of championship planning while ensuring our teams can participate in a safe manner. We believe this approach will position us well in that regard while giving us flexibility if adaptation is necessary."
 
Specific dates for Playoff Pod games and semifinals along with campus sites for the men's and women's Championship Week will be determined and announced in the coming weeks.