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ESPN RISE NHSI at Coppin State University April 1-3; 10 Games across ESPN Networks
Florida and North Carolina Associations Permit Schools to Play in Tourney
ESPN RISE, in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group, will hold the second annual ESPN RISE National High School Invitational (NHSI) Thursday – Saturday, April 1-3 at Coppin State University’s Physical Education Complex in Baltimore. The NHSI, a post-season event featuring boys and girls high school basketball tournaments; eight boys teams and four girls teams. Ten games will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks: ESPN (1 game), ESPN2 (3 games) and ESPNU (6 games).
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has granted its member schools permission to participate in the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, if invited. FHSAA has 669 member high schools, of which a number are ranked by the ESPN RISE FAB 50. The North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association has also given its schools permission to participate in the tournament for the first time. Returning from 2009 are Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (boys teams), and the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (girls teams). A number of independent schools have committed to play in the tournament if selected; teams and brackets will be announced mid-March.
The 2010 National High School Invitational Television Schedule is:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Network |
| Thurs., April 1 | Boys Quarterfinals Game 1 | 2 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Boys Quarterfinals Game 2 | 4 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Boys Quarterfinals Game 3 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Boys Quarterfinals Game 4 | 8 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Fri., April 2 | Boys Semifinals Game 1 | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Boys Semifinals Game 2 | 2 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Girls Semifinals Game 1 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Girls Semifinals Game 2 | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Sat., April 3 | Girls Championship | TBD | ESPN2 |
| Boys Championship | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN |
The NHSI invites eight boys and four girls teams from eligible four-year high schools, independent and public, that have their respective governing body’s permission to participate in the tournament. Teams are chosen based upon their end-of-season ranking in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and via a selection committee. Teams with post-graduate students or re-classified 5th year seniors are not eligible for consideration for the NHSI.
ESPN RISE National High School Invitational tickets are available now at NHSIHoops.com and will be at the Coppin State University’s box office beginning March 15: $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Media interested in credentials for the event should contact [email protected].
Visit ESPNRISE.com for comprehensive pre and post event details.
About ESPN RISE National High School Invitational
The ESPN RISE National High School Invitational was launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md. The inaugural tournament featured boys teams from Oak Hill Academy (Va.), Findlay Prep (Nev.), Montrose Christian (Md.), St. Benedict’s (N.J.), St. Frances Academy (Md.), Friends’ Central (Pa.), Mountain State Academy (W.Va.) and Pinewood Prep (S.C.) and girls teams from Riverdale Baptist (Md.), Seton Keough (Md.), Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and St. Frances Academy (Md.). The 2009 ESPN RISE National High School Invitational boys tournament was won by Findley Prep and the girls tournament was won by Seton Keough.
About ESPN RISE
ESPN RISE represents ESPN’s commitment to engage and elevate high school athletes by providing them with recognition, resources, information and inspiration that can motivate them to improve their skills and achieve their goals to be the best athletes they can. ESPN RISE assets include ESPN RISE, GIRL, Hardwood and Gridiron magazines; ESPNRISE.com, Hoopgurlz.com and DyeStat.com; and more than 160 high school events including Elite 11, Elite 24, ESPN RISE Games, ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, Faster to First, Area Code Baseball and Nike Combines/Nike SPARQ Mini Camps. ESPN RISE is uniquely positioned to provide high school athletes and the company’s core fans with compelling high school sports content across all ESPN platforms.
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