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