ESPN Events Unveils Matchups for Early-Season Basketball Tournaments


ESPN Events has unveiled the matchups for several of its owned and operated early-season basketball tournaments. Beginning November 16 through Christmas weekend, the tournaments will feature a number of top teams, including South Carolina, who advanced to the Final Four in last year’s NCAA men’s basketball championship. The six multi-day, bracket-format, destination events include the Gildan Charleston Classic (Nov. 16, 17 & 19), Puerto Rico Tip-off (Nov. 16, 17 & 19), AdvoCare Invitational (Nov. 23, 24 & 26), NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 23-24) and Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22-25). Each tournament will feature 12 games played over three days, with the NIT Season Tip-Off championship rounds taking place over two days with four games during Thanksgiving weekend.

These events, along with the PK80 Invitational and the Wooden Legacy (matchups to be announced at a later date), showcase more than 70 teams throughout November and December.

All schedules are subject to change.

Gildan Charleston Classic – Nov. 16, 17 & 19
The Gildan Charleston Classic, hosted by the Colonial Athletic Association, will be held at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C. Teams participating in the tournament include Auburn, Clemson, Dayton, Hofstra, Indiana State, Old Dominion, Ohio and Temple. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Gildan Charleston Classic website.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Nov 16 11:30 a.m. Auburn vs. Indiana State ESPNU
2 p.m. Old Dominion vs. Temple ESPN3
5 p.m. Clemson vs. Ohio ESPN2
7:30 p.m. Dayton vs. Hofstra ESPNU
Fri, Nov 17 11 a.m. Semifinal  #1 ESPN2
1:30 p.m. Consolation #1 ESPNU
7 p.m. Consolation #2 ESPNEWS
9:30 p.m. Semifinal #2 ESPNU
Sun, Nov 19 1 p.m. 7th Place Game ESPN3
3:30 p.m. 5th Place Game ESPN3
7 p.m. 3rd Place Game ESPNU
9:30 p.m. Championship Game ESPN2
Wed, Nov 29 TBD Auburn at Dayton ^ TBD

^ – Non-bracketed game

Puerto Rico Tip-Off – Nov. 16, 17 & 19

The Puerto Rico Tip-Off, played at Coliseo Municipal Tomas Dones in Fajardo, will showcase two teams who participated in the NCAA men’s basketball championship—Iowa State, and South Carolina, who advanced to the Final Four. The field also includes postseason NIT participants Boise State and Illinois State, as well as Appalachian State, Tulsa, UTEP and Western Michigan. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Puerto Rico Tip-Off website.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Sun, Nov 12 TBD Bridgewater at Appalachian State^ TBD
Mon, Nov 13 TBD Western Michigan at South Carolina^ TBD
Thu, Nov 16 11:30 a.m. Illinois State vs. South Carolina ESPN2
2 p.m. Boise State vs. UTEP ESPNU
5:30 p.m. Iowa State vs. Appalachian State ESPNU
8 p.m. Tulsa vs. Western Michigan ESPNEWS/ESPN3
Fri, Nov 17 10:30 a.m. Consolation #1 ESPNU
1 p.m. Semifinal #1 ESPN2
5 p.m. Consolation #2 ESPNU
7 p.m. Semifinal #2 ESPNU
Sun, Nov 19 11:30 a.m. 7th Place Game ESPN3
2 p.m. 5th Place Game ESPNU
5 p.m. 3rd Place Game ESPNU
7:30 p.m. Championship Game ESPN2

^ – Non-bracketed game

AdvoCare Invitational – Nov. 23, 24 & 26

The AdvoCare Invitational, played at the HP Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, will bring Sweet 16 team West Virginia and seven other distinguished program to Orlando, Fla. WVU will be joined by Long Beach State, Marist, Missouri, who will play with 2017 No. 1 recruit Michael Porter Jr., Nebraska, Oregon State, St. John’s and UCF for the three-day tournament. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the AdvoCare Invitational website.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Nov 16 TBD Nebraska at St. John’s^ TBD
Mon, Nov 20 TBD Long Beach State at West Virginia^ TBD
Thu, Nov 23 11:30 a.m. Missouri vs. Long Beach State ESPN2
2 p.m. St. John’s vs. Oregon State ESPNU
6 p.m. UCF vs. Nebraska ESPN3
8:30 p.m. West Virginia vs. Marist ESPNEWS
Fri, Nov 24 11 a.m. Semifinal #1 ESPNEWS
1:30 p.m. Consolation #1 ESPN3
5 p.m. Semifinal #2 ESPN2
7:30 p.m. Consolation #2 ESPN3
Sun, Nov 26 Noon 3rd Place Game ESPNU
2 p.m. 5th Place Game ESPNU
7 p.m. 7th Place Game ESPN3
9:30 p.m. Championship Game ESPN2
Thu, Nov 30 TBD Missouri at UCF^ TBD

^ – Non-bracketed game

NIT Season Tip-Off – Nov. 23 & 24

Hosted by ESPN Events, this year’s NIT Season Tip-Off features Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt and Virginia, facing off at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. All four teams played in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Other non-bracketed games will be played at campus sites in November. Additional information can be found on the NIT Tip-Off website.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, Nov 10 TBD Fairleigh Dickinson at Seton Hall^ TBD
  TBD Austin Peay at Vanderbilt^ TBD
Sat, Nov 11 TBD UNC-Asheville at Rhode Island^ TBD
Sun, Nov 12 TBD Monmouth at Seton Hall^ TBD
Mon, Nov 13 TBD Austin Peay at Virginia^ TBD
Thu, Nov 16 TBD Oakland City at Austin Peay^ TBD
Fri, Nov 17 TBD UNC-Asheville at Vanderbilt^ TBD
Sun, Nov 19 TBD UNC-Asheville at Austin Peay^ TBD
  TBD Monmouth at Virginia TBD
Wed, Nov 22 TBD Monmouth at UNC-Asheville TBD
Thu, Nov 23 4 p.m. Virginia vs. Vanderbilt ESPNU
6 p.m. Rhode Island vs. Seton Hall ESPNU
Fri, Nov 24 TBD 3rd Place Game TBD
TBD Championship TBD

^ – Non-bracketed game

Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic – Dec. 22-25
This year’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will include Akron, Davidson, Hawai’i, Miami, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Princeton and USC. Held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, the tournament features five NCAA tournament participants in Miami, Middle Tennessee New Mexico State, Princeton and USC. Additional information, including travel packages, can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic website.

Date Time (ET) Game Network
Tue, Dec 19 TBD Princeton at USC^ TBD
Fri, Dec 22 5:30 p.m. Middle Tennessee vs. Princeton ESPNU
7:30 p.m. Akron vs. USC ESPNU
11 p.m. Davidson vs. New Mexico State ESPNU
Sat, Dec. 23 1 a.m. Miami vs. Hawaii ESPNU
4:30 p.m. Semifinal #1 ESPN2
7 p.m. Consolation #1 ESPN3
10 p.m. Semifinal #2 ESPN2
Sun, Dec 24 12:30 a.m. Consolation #2 ESPNU
Mon, Dec 25 12:30 p.m. 7th Place Game ESPNU
2:30 p.m. 5th Place Game ESPNU
6 p.m. Championship Game ESPN2
8:30 p.m. 3rd Place Game ESPNU

^ – Non-bracketed game