Fields Revealed for 2024 ESPN Events Invitational and NIT Season Tip-Off at Walt Disney World Resort
ESPN revealed the fields for the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational and NIT Season Tip-Off, both of which will be held at Walt Disney World Resort on Thanksgiving week – Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 – at State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.
The ESPN Events Invitational field includes Florida, Minnesota, Wake Forest and Wichita State.
Field Highlights
- Florida (SEC) reached the NCAA Tournament last season, and last played in this event in 2016. The Gators are ranked #20 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. Florida is coming off its highest win total (24-12) in seven years and set a program scoring record at 85.6 points per game.
- Minnesota (Big Ten) will be making its third appearance (2006, 2011) at the ESPN Events Invitational and its first trip to the state of Florida since a game at Florida State in Nov. 2016. The Gophers reached the second round of the 2023 NIT, producing a 10-win turnaround in head coach Ben Johnson’s third season.
- Wake Forest (ACC) has won 10 or more ACC games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 2005-2007. The Demon Deacons have won at least 20 games overall in two of the last three seasons, and advanced to the second round of the 2024 NIT. Wake Forest previously played in the Orlando event in 2011.
- Wichita State (American Athletic) also played in the ESPN Events Invitational in 2008 and 2015. Head coach Paul Mills begins his second season after leading the Shockers to a pair of wins in the 2023 AAC Tournament.
The NIT Season Tip-Off field includes North Texas, Northern Iowa, St. Bonaventure and Utah State.
Field Highlights
- North Texas (American Athletic) advanced to the second round of the NIT in its first year as a member of the AAC. It was also the first year for Ross Hodge, whose 10 conference wins were a program record for a new head coach. The Mean Green played at State Farm Fieldhouse in the 2021 ESPN Events Invitational.
- Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley) won six of its last eight games to finish 19-14 last season. Head coach Ben Jacobson has finished in the top five of the MVC in 16 of his 18 seasons with the Panthers.
- Bonaventure (Atlantic 10) has advanced to the championship game in its last three early-season tournaments (2019 Boca Beach Classic, 2021 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic, 2023 Legends Classic). Last season, the Bonnies won 20 games for the sixth time under head coach Mark Schmidt.
- Utah State (Mountain West) reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 8 seed and beating TCU before falling to No. 1 seed Purdue. Danny Sprinkle’s 28 wins tied him for the most ever by a first year head coach with the Aggies.
This is the 18th year Walt Disney World has hosted the ESPN Events Invitational at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the first time the NIT Season Tip-Off has been held at the site. All the games will once again be played at State Farm Field House a venue that has been the site of world-class basketball competitions including NBA games and elite youth tournaments.
Fans can sign up for first access to pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational and NIT Season Tip-Off web sites. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.
The Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is the official tournament host property, offering fan packages which will be available this summer. Experience Kissimmee is also offering discounted rates at nearby hotels. Both will be able to be found in the travel section of the event website.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, 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. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.
About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, is the home of Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and one of the premier sites for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts dozens of events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena in addition to two field houses for basketball, volleyball, eSports and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey. The complex also contains a professional production center that produces content for the Disney family of networks for global distribution. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos and www.espnwwos.com for the latest calendar of events.
-30-
Media Coordinator: Charley Green at 214-734-8028 or [email protected]
ESPN: Danny Chi at 213-405-4400 or [email protected]