Matchups for ESPN Events’ 2021 Men’s College Basketball Tournaments are Set
Note: This release was updated on July 28, 2021, with the addition of the matchups for the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
The matchups for ESPN Events’ owned and operated early-season men’s college basketball tournaments have been determined. Teams participating in this year’s events, unveiled in May, will begin competition on November 18, and will continue through Christmas Day.
Each eight-team men’s college basketball tournament – Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, ESPN Events Invitational, and Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic – will be comprised of 12 games over three days, with the NIT Season Tip-Off and Paycom Wooden Legacy each featuring four teams and four games over two days of play. Teams will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game on the final day of the tournament.
Across the six tournaments, 15 teams participated in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Tournament, while six teams played in the postseason NIT. A number of teams are also featured in the recent edition of ESPN.com’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 (Jeff Borzello), and Joe Lunardi’s 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracketology.
In addition to the multi-team tournaments, ESPN Events also manages four single-day, neutral-site events including the Armed Forces Classic, State Farm Champions Classic – featuring Duke vs. Kentucky and Kansas vs. Michigan State – Phil Knight Invitational, and Jimmy V Men’s and Women’s Classics presented by Corona. Fields for the remaining events will be announced in the coming weeks.
ESPN Events is also working in conjunction with the Charlotte Sports Foundation and the Jordan Brand on the newly created Jumpman Invitational, set for December 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. The event will feature both men’s and women’s teams from the original four Jordan Brand schools – Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic
November 18, 19 and 21
TD Arena | Charleston, S.C.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Thu, Nov. 18 | 2 p.m. | St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State | ESPN2 |
| 4 p.m. | Clemson vs. Temple | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Marquette vs. Ole Miss | ESPN2 | |
| 9 p.m. | Elon vs. West Virginia | ESPN2 | |
| Fri, Nov. 19 | Noon | Consolation Game #1 | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. | Semifinal #1 | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | Semifinal #2 | ESPN2 | |
| 9 p.m. | Consolation #2 | ESPN3 | |
| Sun, Nov. 21 | 10:30 a.m. | Seventh Place Game | ESPNU |
| 1 p.m. | Fifth Place Game | ESPN2 | |
| 5 p.m. | Third Place Game | ESPN2 | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Championship | ESPN |
Myrtle Beach Invitational
November 18, 19 and 21
HTC Center | Conway, S.C.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Thu, Nov. 18 | Noon | Davidson vs. New Mexico State | ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. | Penn vs. Utah State | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | Oklahoma vs. East Carolina | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. | Indiana State vs. Old Dominion | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Nov. 19 | Noon | Semifinal #1 | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. | Consolation Game #1 | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | Semifinal #2 | ESPN2 | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Consolation #2 | ESPNU | |
| Sun, Nov. 21 | 12:30 p.m. | Seventh Place Game | ESPNEWS |
| 3 p.m. | Championship | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. | Fifth Place Game | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| Third Place Game | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
NIT Season Tip-Off
November 24 and 26
Barclays Center | Brooklyn, N.Y.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Wed, Nov. 24 | 7 p.m. | Xavier vs. Iowa State | ESPNU |
| 9:30 p.m. | Memphis vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN2 | |
| Fri, Nov. 26 | 7 p.m. | Third Place Game | ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS |
| 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. | Championship | ESPN2 |
Paycom Wooden Legacy
November 25 and 26
Anaheim Arena at Anaheim Convention Center | Anaheim, Calif.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Thu, Nov. 25 | 9:30 p.m. | USC vs. Saint Joseph’s | ESPN2 |
| 11:30 p.m. | Georgetown vs. San Diego State | ESPN2 | |
| Fri, Nov. 26 | 9 p.m. | Third Place Game | ESPNU |
| 11:30 p.m. | Championship | ESPN2 |
ESPN Events Invitational (formerly Orlando Invitational)
November 25, 26 and 28
HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Thu, Nov. 25 | Noon | Dayton vs. Miami (Fla.) | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. | North Texas vs. Kansas | ESPN or ESPN2 | |
| 5 p.m. | Alabama vs. Iona | ESPN or ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. | Belmont vs. Drake | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| Fri, Nov. 26 | 11 a.m. | Consolation Game #1 | ESPN2 |
| 1 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. | Semifinal #1 | ESPN or ESPN2 | |
| 4:30 p.m. | Consolation #2 | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. | Semifinal #2 | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| Sun, Nov. 28 | TBD | Seventh Place Game | TBD |
| TBD | Championship | TBD | |
| TBD | Fifth Place Game | TBD | |
| TBD | Third Place Game | TBD |
Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic
December 22, 23 and 25
Stan Sheriff Center | Honolulu, Hawai‘i
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Event | Network |
| Wed, Dec. 22 | 3 p.m. | Liberty vs. Northern Iowa | ESPNU |
| 5 p.m. | Wyoming vs. Stanford | ESPNU | |
| TBD | BYU vs. South Florida | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| TBD | Hawaii vs. Vanderbilt | ESPN2 or ESPNU | |
| Thu, Dec. 23 | 4 p.m. | Semifinal #1 | ESPN2 |
| 6:30 p.m. | Consolation #1 | ESPNU | |
| Thu, Dec. 23 or Fri, Dec. 24 | 10 p.m. or 12:30 a.m. | Semifinal #2 | ESPN2 |
| Thu, Dec. 23 or Fri, Dec. 24 | 10 p.m. or 12:30 a.m. | Consolation #2 | ESPN2 |
| Sat, Dec. 25 | 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. | Seventh Place Game | ESPNU |
| 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. | Fifth Place Game | ESPNU | |
| 6:30 p.m. | Third Place Game | ESPN2 | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Championship | ESPN2 |
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events nationwide. The roster includes five early-season college football games, 17 college bowl games, 11 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.
For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.
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