- Nine events showcasing 33 teams across 12 conferences, including 10 teams ranked in last season’s final AP Top 25
- Inaugural Atlantic 10/American Showcase on ESPN debuts Nov. 29
ESPN Events has announced the participating teams, locations and venues for nine of its owned-and-operated events for the 2026-27 men’s and women’s college basketball season. Combining for more than 80 hours of programming across ESPN platforms, these ESPN events will showcase 33 teams, including 10 teams in last season’s final AP Top 25 men’s and women’s rankings. Game times, full matchups and ESPN platform designations will be announced at a later date.
In all, 12 conferences will be represented in the nine events, including the ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Horizon, Ivy League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, SEC and Sun Belt.
ESPN Events’ men’s and women’s basketball events will feature 18 teams (14 men’s and four women’s) that earned NCAA Tournament berths last season. The men’s NCAA Tournament teams include Akron, Alabama, Duke, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Saint Louis, South Florida, UCF and Wright State, while the women’s field features Kentucky, LSU, UConn and Virginia.
In its 16th year, the State Farm® Champions Classic returns to the United Center in Chicago for the fifth time and first since 2023, bringing together four of college basketball’s most storied and successful programs on Nov. 10. The neutral-site doubleheader opens with 2026 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 participant Michigan State, ranked No. 9 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, taking on Elite Eight participant and No. 2 Duke before concluding with one of the sport’s greatest blue-blood rivalries as No. 22 Kansas and No. 19 Kentucky—owners of more all-time wins than any other Division I men’s basketball programs—square off in a marquee primetime showdown.
The 18th annual Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic returns to TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 20 and 22. This year’s event features a revised format in which each team will play two predetermined games over the two-day event. The 2026 field features a compelling collection of programs, including Dayton, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Utah and Virginia Tech.
Entering its 20th year, the ESPN Events Invitational will showcase two distinct fields and formats, with each team competing in predetermined matchups throughout the week. The annual Thanksgiving-week showcase returns to the State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla., continuing its tradition of featuring some of college basketball’s most exciting programs and emerging contenders.
The first field (ESPN Events – Adventure Group), featuring three predetermined games each day, will take place on Nov. 23-25 and will include Akron and Wright State—both NCAA Tournament participants last season—alongside Appalachian State, Belmont, St. Bonaventure and Yale.
The second field (ESPN Events – Magic Group), set for Nov. 26-27, will feature Boston College and Cincinnati—both led by newly-appointed head coaches—alongside Georgia and UCF who participated in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Honoring one of college basketball’s most iconic voices and ambassadors, the Dick Vitale Invitational presented by Belk returns for its second year in collaboration with the Charlotte Sports Foundation following a successful inaugural event in 2025. The annual showcase tips off Nov. 27 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., featuring a Black Friday matchup between North Carolina and West Virginia.
New to the ESPN Events college basketball slate, the inaugural Atlantic 10/American Showcase on ESPN will debut Nov. 29 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, featuring a neutral-site doubleheader with Memphis facing Dayton and reigning conference champions South Florida and Saint Louis squaring off.
The multi-year men’s college basketball event, created in collaboration with both conferences, will showcase top programs from the Atlantic 10 Conference and American Conference. Future editions will feature rotating matchups among participating institutions and host locations throughout the conferences’ footprints.
Celebrating its 32nd year, the Jimmy V Men’s Classic presented by Modelo returns to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8, continuing its longstanding tradition of showcasing premier college basketball while raising awareness and support for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. This year’s doubleheader features four teams that reached last season’s NCAA Tournament, with Sweet 16 teams Houston, No. 16, and No. 14 Alabama meeting in one matchup and Georgia taking on Elite Eight participant and No. 2 Duke in the other.
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.
Men’s college basketball action continues Jan. 23 as No. 12 Louisville and Baylor meet for a late-season non-conference showdown. The Cardinals enter the matchup looking to build on last season’s victory over the Bears while continuing their pursuit of a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Pat Kelsey, renewing the series between two prominent programs at a site to be announced.
ESPN Events – 2026-27 College Basketball Season
State Farm Champions Classic
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 10 | Michigan State vs. Duke Kansas vs. Kentucky | Chicago, Ill. | United Center |
Shriners Children’s Hospital Charleston Classic
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 20 & 22 | Dayton, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma St., Utah, Virginia Tech (3 Games/Day) | Charleston, S.C. | TD Arena |
ESPN Events – Adventure Group
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 23-25 | Akron, Appalachian St., Belmont, St. Bonaventure, Wright St., Yale (3 Games/Day) | Kissimmee, Fla. | State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex |
ESPN Events Invitational – Magic Group
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 26- 27 | Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia, UCF (2 Games/Day) | Kissimmee, Fla. | State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex |
Dick Vitale Invitational Presented by Belk
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 27 | West Virginia vs. North Carolina | Charlotte, N.C. | Spectrum Center |
Atlantic 10/American Showcase on ESPN
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Nov. 29 | Dayton vs. Memphis Saint Louis vs. South Florida | Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena |
Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Modelo
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Dec. 8 | Houston vs. Alabama Georgia vs. Duke | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden |
Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational (Women’s College Basketball)
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Dec. 20 | UConn vs. LSU Virginia vs. Kentucky | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena |
Baylor vs. Louisville
| Date | Matchup/Event Field | Location | Venue |
| Jan. 23 | Louisville vs. Baylor | TBA | TBA |
About ESPN EventsESPN 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.
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