Conference USA Tournament championship game delay: Jacksonville State vs. Liberty paused due to arena roof leak

A spot in the NCAA Tournament is on the line Saturday night in Huntsville. Jacksonville State and Liberty are facing off in the Conference USA championship game as tip-off was scheduled for 7:30. However, the game has not yet started due to a delay within the arena.

Turns out, the Von Braun Center has a leak in the roof, right above the court. Towels are down but right now, players are not out there.

Around 8 p.m. CT, people on site said the goal was to get teams from the locker room in 20 minutes. Jacksonville and Liberty will play at some point but at the current moment, the biggest piece of news coming from the arena is a water leak.

They’re trying to patch the leak in the roof at the Von Braun Center and hope to bring the teams back out in 20 minutes.

Still towels down on the court in Huntsville. pic.twitter.com/v578e5g1ef

— Thomas Ashworth (@_ThomasAshworth) March 16, 2025

Shortly after, Conference USA released a statement on the situation. The state of Alabama is enduring inclement weather, including Huntsville. CUSA claims to be working on the issue and is asking for patience from fans of Liberty along with Jacksonville State.

“Due to building safety concerns caused by inclement weather, the Championship Game between Liberty & Jax State has been delayed until the issue is resolved,” CUSA said via X. “Crews are working quickly to address the issue, & we appreciate everyone’s patience as we ensure a safe and smooth event. Follow Conference USA on social for updates.”

More on Conference USA Tournament championship game

Two of Conference USA’s best teams are facing off in the championship game Saturday night. Liberty enters as the No. 1 seed after winning the regular season title, going up against two-seed Jacksonville State. Despite being tied with Middle Tennessee State in record, the Gamecocks got the nod.

Liberty is searching for the program’s first NCAA Tournament since 2019 and sixth ever. Head coach Ritchie McKay is in his tenth season in charge, hoping to make a third appearance in the Big Dance.

Moving over to Jacksonville State, the Gamecocks are a proud program after finding success at the Division II level. Since making the move up, they have been a part of March Madness on two occasions. Winning in Huntsville would be No. 3.

Conference USA famously was home to Florida Atlantic when the Owls made a run to the Final Four under Dusty May. Whoever earns the automatic bid will be hoping for something similar. But first up is getting the game started, hopefully taking care of the roof leak in due time.