ESPN Events Announces the Inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Women’s Basketball Invitational

ESPN Events announces the addition of a new owned-and-operated women’s basketball invitational – the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational, set for Sunday, Dec. 14.

The first-ever game will feature a Big 12/SEC battle between Baylor and Texas at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The top 25 matchup will tip at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.

“We are excited to launch this new event highlighting the very best in college basketball while aligning with key brands and initiatives, said Clint Overby, Vice President, ESPN Events. We are appreciative of Sprouts and their on-going support of women’s athletics and look forward to growing this event with them.”

The Texas Longhorns are coming off a Final Four caliber season in 2024-25, where they clinched their first SEC regular season title en route to a 35-4 record overall. Baylor finished with a stellar 28-8 record in the ’24-’25 campaign, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears finished second in the Big 12 a season ago, with a 15-3 effort in league play.

“Since launching in 2010, espnW has been building towards events like this,” said Susie Piotrkowski, Vice President, ESPN Women’s Sports Programming & espnW. “In collaboration with Sprouts Farmers Market, The espnW Invitational is a presentation of the games top athletes competing at the highest level – delivering Women’s Sports fans more of what they crave. The Sprouts Famers Market espnW Invitational reflects ESPN Events intentional investment in our Women’s Sports portfolio, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue serving Women’s Sports fans and the culture that defines them.”

This event adds to 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.

“At Sprouts, we are on a mission to empower female athletes both on and off the court, whether it’s fueling performance through nutrition or partnering with organizations like ESPN, which are giving these athletes a platform to showcase their talents on the court,” said Alisa Gmelich, Chief Marketing Officer at Sprouts Farmers Market. “We are proud to be one of the first grocery retailers to make a commitment to sponsor women’s collegiate athletics, and serving as the title sponsor of the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational presents the perfect opportunity to extend our mission.

Tickets for the Fort Worth event at Dickies 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 @espnWInvitational on X and Instagram.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 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 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 Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube pages.

About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 35,000 team members and operates more than 440 stores in 24 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit sprouts.com/about.

About Dickies Arena

Dickies Arena is a 14,000 seat, spectacular multipurpose venue that was built in 2019 and is owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by the not-for-profit operating entity, Trail Drive Management Corp. (TDMC).  The facility is the result of a pioneering public-private partnership between the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, the State of Texas and a group of private-sector participants, including foundations, individuals and organizations. The arena is located adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The state-of-the-art arena hosts concerts, sporting events and family entertainment, and is home to Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.  Dickies Arena has been nominated for Arena of the Year by Pollstar Magazine in 2022 and 2023 as well as the Academy of Country Music in 2022, 2023 and 2024.  In 2025 midyear rankings, the arena is VenuesNow’s #1 Top Stops Worldwide, Billboard Magazine’s Top Grossing Venue in North America and ranked #8 in Tickets Sold in Pollstar Magazine’s Top 200 Venues chart. For more information, visit www.DickiesArena.com.

All of ESPN. All in One Place. Now Available!

For the first time ever, ESPN offers its full suite of 12 networks and services directly to fans within an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, ESPN BET information, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen experience, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a special offer at launch for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.

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CONTACTS:

ESPN
Danny Chi | [email protected] | 213-405-4400
Andrea DiCristoforo | [email protected] | 213-405-4612

ESPN WCBB

Katie Callahan at [email protected] | 607-226-1438