2026 Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational To Feature Nashville Doubleheader on December 20

ESPN Events announced the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational returns for its second year on Dec. 20, this time at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Expanding from a single marquee matchup in its debut to a doubleheader this year, the event features three ESPN Way Too Early Top 25 teams with No. 2 UConn taking on No. 10 LSU and Virginia facing No. 17 Kentucky.

2025 National Champion UConn, coming off its third consecutive Final Four and fifth in the last six years, will meet 2023 National Champion LSU in their first matchup since 2016 — a clash featuring two of the sport’s most recognizable brands and elite coaches. Rising powers Virginia and Kentucky enter fresh off their first Sweet 16 appearances in more than a decade, and will square off for the first time since 2019. Together, the star‑studded doubleheader showcases national championship pedigree, emerging contenders, and four of the most passionate fanbases in women’s basketball.

Game times and ESPN network designations will be announced at a later date.

“Year two of the Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational is a perfect example of what great partnership and shared priorities can achieve,” said Susie Piotrkowski, Vice President, ESPN Women’s Sports Programming & espnW. “With four Women’s College Basketball programs that combined for a Final Four appearance and three Sweet 16 runs last season taking the national stage, we couldn’t be prouder to continue serving women’s sports fans and delivering the caliber of competition they deserve.”

This event is part of Sprouts’ extensive portfolio within the ESPN and Disney brand as they are the title sponsor for the ESPN Events’ owned-and-operated gymnastics meet and volleyball invitational – the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad and Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party. Sprouts also serves as the Official Grocer of the Southeastern Conference.

Tickets for the December 20 doubleheader at Bridgestone Arena are set to go on sale this fall. Fans can secure first access to the beat seats now by registering for the pre-sale at www.espnWinvitational.com.

For the latest updates on the event, follow @espnW on Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2026-27 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, nine college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premier regular-season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events accounted 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 Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube pages.

About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Sprouts Farmers Market is one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States. Sprouts helps people live and eat better with fresh produce at the heart of the store and delicious discoveries for every dietary lifestyle. Always foraging for what’s fresh and innovative, Sprouts offers a carefully curated assortment of products that inspire wellness naturally, including organic, gluten-free, plant-based and non-GMO favorites. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Sprouts employs approximately 36,000 team members and operates more than 480 stores in 25 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts and the role it plays in its communities, visit Sprouts.com/about.

All of ESPN. All in One Place.
ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited subscription, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able shortform vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package from certain providers. Bundling options available for fans include a Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN offering that provides a one-of-a-kind streaming package combining sports with branded and general entertainment. For more visit stream.espn.com.

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CONTACTS:

ESPN
Danny Chi | [email protected]

Michael Skarka | [email protected]

ESPN WCBB

Katie Callahan at [email protected]