Sports
ESPN Events Unveils Matchups for Six Tournaments During 2023 … – ESPN Press Room
ESPN Events unveiled the matchups today for six of its owned and operated tournaments during the upcoming 2023-24 men’s college basketball season. The Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational and ESPN Events Invitational will again be part of ESPN’s Feast Week programming this fall. The NIT Season Tip-Off also returns and will hold its event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, while the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will take place during Christmas week in Hawaii.
Additionally, ESPN Events is introducing the Vegas Showdown, a new multi-team event to be contested Nov. 23 and 24 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Fourteen teams scheduled to participate in ESPN Events tournaments earned berths in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, including Final Four participant Florida Atlantic and No. 1 seed Houston, which advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Other NCAA qualifiers include Arizona State, Baylor, Boise State, Charleston, Iowa State, Nevada, NC State, Penn State, Pitt, Texas A&M, TCU and Vermont. In addition, 2023 NIT champion North Texas will play in Charleston.
In all, 16 conferences will be represented in the six tournaments, including The American, America East, ACC, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Big West, Coastal, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic.
The eight-team men’s college basketball tournaments (Charleston, Myrtle, ESPN Events and Diamond Head) will feature 12 games through three days, while the NIT Season Tip-Off and Vegas Showdown will include four teams and four games through two days. Teams will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket. Each tournament will crown a champion on the final day.
ESPN Events Tournaments During the 2023-24 Men’s College Basketball Season:
Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic
November 16, 17 and 19
TD Arena | Charleston, S.C.
Teams: Dayton, Houston, LSU, North Texas, St. John’s, Towson, Utah, Wake Forest
Tournament Notes: Houston, ranked No. 6 in ESPN’s latest “Way Too Early” Top 25 after earning a No. 1 seed and advancing to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Tournament, opens play against Towson, which finished 21-12 last season. St. John’s, ranked No. 25, brings a revamped roster to Charleston under Hall of Famer and new head coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm’s opener is against 2023 NIT champion North Texas, which finished with an impressive 31-7 record in 2022-23.
Myrtle Beach Invitational
November 16, 17 and 19
HTC Center | Conway, S.C.
Teams: Coastal Carolina, Charleston, Furman, Liberty, Saint Louis, Vermont, Wichita State, Wyoming
Tournament Notes: The opening game in Myrtle Beach features a battle of defending conference champions and NCAA Tournament teams – Charleston (CAA) vs. Vermont (America East). The home state Cougars are coming off a 31-4 record, one of the best seasons in school history. Also, reigning SoCon champion Furman, which earned a memorable upset victory in the NCAAs in March, opens play against Liberty, which participated in last season’s NIT.
NIT Season Tip-Off
November 22 and 24
Barclays Center | Brooklyn, N.Y.
Teams: Baylor, Florida, Oregon State, Pittsburgh
Tournament Notes: Baylor, the 2021 National Champion, enters the season ranked No. 20 in ESPN’s “Way Too Early” Top 25 after another NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bears open play against Oregon State. Opening night also features a compelling matchup of SEC and ACC teams as Florida battles Pittsburgh, an NCAA Tournament team last season.
Vegas Showdown
November 23 and 24
Michelob Ultra Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
Teams: Arizona State, BYU, NC State, Vanderbilt
Tournament Notes: All four teams in the new Vegas Showdown won at least 20 games last season. ACC and SEC teams face off in the opening game as NCAA Tournament qualifier NC State will face Vanderbilt, which reached the later rounds of last season’s NIT. The late game pits Arizona State against BYU. The Sun Devils reached the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
ESPN Events Invitational
November 23, 24 and 26
State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports | Kissimmee, Fla.
Teams: Boise State, Butler, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech
Tournament Notes: The loaded eight-team field includes six NCAA Tournament teams from last season and two programs ranked in ESPN.com’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 – Florida Atlantic (No. 9) and Texas A&M (No. 19). After making its 2023 Final Four run, FAU will tip off against Butler, while the Aggies face Penn State, which advanced to the NCAA second round last season. (It was announced Monday that FAU will also be part of ESPN Events’ 2023 Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Corona on Dec. 5 at Madison Square Garden.)
Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic
December 21, 22 & 24
SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center | Honolulu, Hawaii
Teams: Georgia Tech, Hawaii, UMass, Nevada, Old Dominion, Portland, TCU, Temple
Tournament Notes: The 14th edition of the Diamond Head Classic features a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from last season – Nevada and TCU. The Wolf Pack opens play against Temple, followed by the Horned Frogs matchup against Old Dominion. Hawai’i is both the tournament host and defending champion.
For more information on ESPN Events, visit www.espnevents.com
In addition to these six multi-team events, ESPN Events will also host the State Farm Champions Classic, the Jimmy V Classic Presented by Corona (Men’s and Women’s), and the Jumpman Invitational Presented by Novant Health during the 2022-23 college basketball season.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2023, the 32-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, and a college softball event, in addition to a new a college gymnastics event coming in 2024. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, while reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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