It is a single-elimination tournament that involves all league schools (14 as of the 2023–24 season[1]).

Its seeding is based on regular season records.

The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament; however, the official conference championship is awarded to the team or teams with the best regular season record.

While The American is the legal successor to the old Big East, it gave up the rights to the long-standing conference tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City to the new Big East.

† Louisville was forced to vacate their 2014 win due to 2015 sex scandal Italics indicate school no longer sponsors men's basketball in The American.