ESPN Announces Elite Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Fields for 2022 Phil Knight Invitational

ESPN Events has announced the field for the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational (PKI), one of ESPN’s 11 owned and operated college basketball events.

The PKI multi-team tournament will feature eight men’s teams and four women’s teams competing during ESPN’s annual Feast Week, Thursday, Nov. 24 – Sunday, Nov. 27.

The early season men’s and women’s college basketball events – born from the successful PK80 events that helped celebrate the 80th birthday of Phil Knight in 2017 – will once again honor the NIKE, Inc. co-founder and 2012 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee. PKI will be played at three facilities in Portland, Ore.: Chiles Center on the campus of the University of Portland, the Rose Quarter’s Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. 

All 16 PKI games will be televised on ESPN networks, including the men’s and women’s championship games – live from the Moda Center on Sunday, Nov. 27.

“We are honored to bring together some of the best men’s and women’s college basketball teams in tribute to Phil Knight and his lasting impact on the sport,” said Clint Overby, vice president, ESPN Events. “The quality of both fields along with the multi-venue setup will make Portland the epicenter of college hoops this Thanksgiving weekend.”

Men’s teams competing in PKI include Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, UConn and Villanova. The accomplished field has a combined 206 NCAA Tournament appearances, 43 Final Fours and 16 NCAA titles. Each team will play one game per day in the bracket-style format on Nov. 24, 25 and 27.  

The women’s PKI field features Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina and Oregon, which combine for 81 NCAA Tournament appearances, 13 Elite Eights and six Final Fours. Each team will play one game per day in the bracket-style format on Nov. 24 and 27.

Brackets and the complete schedule of games will be announced this summer. Ticket information will be available soon. Fans can sign up for pre-sale access at https://rosequarter.com/hoops/. 

About ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 35 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 12 college basketball events and a college softball event, which accounts for approximately 400 hours of live programming, reaches nearly 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in more than 10 markets across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

Media Contact:  Amy Ufnowski, ESPN: [email protected]