ESPN Events, Atlantic 10 Conference, and American Conference Announce A10/American Showcase on ESPN
ESPN Events, Atlantic 10 Conference, and American Conference Announce A10/American Showcase on ESPN
New Multi-Year Men’s College Basketball Event to Debut Nov. 29, 2026, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
ESPN Events, in collaboration with the Atlantic 10 Conference and the American Conference, has announced the A10/American Showcase on ESPN, a new multi-year men’s college basketball event featuring matchups among top institutions from both conferences.
The event will debut Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, featuring matchups between Memphis and Dayton and South Florida and Saint Louis. Game times and ESPN platform designations will be announced later.
Future editions of the event will rotate participating schools and host locations within the Atlantic 10 and American Conference footprints. As part of the multi-year agreement, additional participating schools and host sites will be announced later.
“The Atlantic 10 and American conferences have been ESPN’s valued partners for years,” said Jeff Wilson, Director, ESPN Events. “We are excited to build on those partnerships to create this signature event that will further spotlight their brands on a national stage while providing critical opportunities for teams to strengthen their resumes. We look forward to providing exceptional experiences for the participating teams and fans.”
“This collaboration presents a tremendous opportunity for Atlantic 10 teams to compete against quality opponents on a neutral floor before a national audience,” A10 Commissioner Dan Leibovitz said. “We appreciate our media partner, ESPN, and the American Conference for coming together to create a unique event with meaningful scheduling value. This collaboration will strengthen our league’s non-conference profile and improve our NCAA Tournament positioning.”
“We are excited to partner with the A10 to create a best-on-best showcase of top-level programs in our conferences and in college basketball,” said American Commissioner Tim Pernetti. “This special non-conference event gives our programs meaningful high-level competitive opportunities outside the American to build strong resumes for post-season consideration and success.”
Field Highlights
Dayton (Atlantic 10) Dayton will play its first-ever regular season game at Nationwide Arena, located just 72 miles from campus. The Flyers, led by head Coach Anthony Grant, have finished fourth or better in the A10 in seven of the past eight seasons.
Saint Louis (Atlantic 10) Saint Louis enters the 2026-27 season as the defending Atlantic 10 regular-season champion and advanced to the Second Round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament after defeating Georgia. Three starters from last year’s team are returning for Head Coach Josh Schertz.
Memphis (American Conference) Memphis, led by 2025 American Conference Coach of the Year Penny Hardaway, has won two American Conference Tournament championships in the past four seasons.
South Florida (American Conference) South Florida enters the 2026-27 season as the reigning American Conference regular-season and tournament champions. Head Coach Chris Mack enters his first season with the Bulls after compiling a 45-20 record at Charleston over the past two seasons.
Tickets will go on sale this fall. In the meantime, fans can secure first access to the best seats by signing up for the event pre-sale at www.A10AmericanShowcase.com.
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 premiere 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.
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