Unveiled: The Must-Watch Multi-Team Events That Will Redefine the 2025-26 Men’s College Basketball Season!

Alright, let’s get real about the whirlwind that is the 2025-26 men’s college basketball multi-team events (MTEs). The season ahead promises an electrifying lineup of tournaments, matchups, and early-season showcases that’ll have fans glued to their screens and scouts scribbling notes frantically. These aren’t just any games; they’re the proving grounds where legends are born, and rivalries spark faster than you can say “slam dunk.” From the sun-soaked courts of Paradise Island’s Battle 4 Atlantis to the high-stakes battles at the Shriners Hospitals Charleston Classic, every bracket has a story waiting to unfold. Now, while some dates still hang in the balance and asterisks hint at conference shuffles, the excitement is palpable. Trust me, keeping tabs on these events isn’t just about schedules — it’s about immersing yourself in the pulse of college hoops as it gears up for another unforgettable chapter. So grab your bracket, tune in early, and get ready to savor the drama, the upsets, and the sheer thrill of the hardwood hustle. LEARN MORE

Lafayette MTE (Nov. 28–30: Easton, Pa., 3 games)
Ball State (MAC), Lafayette (Patriot, host), Le Moyne (NEC, reclassifying year 3 of 4), Monmouth (CAA) (The D1 Docket)
UNCW MTE (Nov. TBA: Wilmington, N.C.: 3 games)
Gardner-Webb (Big South), Navy (Patriot), Southeastern Louisiana (Southland), UNCW (CAA, host) (The D1 Docket)

Basic Info Links

American (4/13): North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTSA
Atlantic 10 (1/14): Fordham
MVC (5/11): Belmont, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, UIC, Valparaiso
MW (2/11): Air Force, Wyoming
WCC (1/12): Seattle U*
Players Era Festival (Nov. 24-30: Las Vegas, formats TBD)
Alabama (SEC), Auburn (SEC), Baylor (Big 12), Creighton (Big East), Gonzaga (WCC), Houston (Big 12), Iowa State (Big 12), Kansas (Big 12), Michigan (Big Ten), Notre Dame (ACC), Oregon (Big Ten), Rutgers (Big Ten), San Diego State (MW), St. John’s (Big East), Saint Joseph’s (A 10), Syracuse (ACC), Tennessee (SEC), UNLV (MW)
ACC (5/18): California, Florida State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, SMU
Big 12 (5/16): Arizona, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, UCF
Big Ten (4/18): Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA
SEC (4/16): Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

Bracketed MTEs

Blanket Waiver for 2025-26 Q&A (NCAA.org, PDF)
Emerald Coast Classic (Nov. 28 and 29: Niceville, Fla., 2 games)
DePaul (Big East), Drake (MVC), Georgia Tech (ACC), LSU (SEC) (Jon Rothstein, College Hoops Today)
Conferences Completely Booked (1/31): Big East
Greenbrier Tip-Off (Nov. 21–23: White Sulphur Springs, W.V.: 2 games+1 on-campus)
Mountain Division (Hosts): Butler (Big East), Northwestern (Big Ten), South Carolina (SEC), Virginia (ACC)
River Division (Visitors): TBA
UConn MTE (Nov. 3–10: campus sites, 3 games)
Columbia (Ivy, 2 home games), New Haven (NEC, reclassifying year 1 of 4), UConn (Big East, 3 home games), UMass Lowell (AE, 1 home game) (Rocco Miller)
ESPN Events Invitational (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.)
Adventure Bracket (Nov. 24–26, 3 games): Bradley (MVC), Liberty (CUSA), Princeton (Ivy), Rhode Island (A 10), Temple (American), Towson (CAA), UC San Diego (Big West), and Vermont (AE)
Imagination Bracket (Nov. 27 and 28, 2 games): Charlotte (American), Furman (SoCon), Illinois State (MVC), Richmond (A 10)
Magic Bracket (Nov. 27 and 28, 2 games): BYU (Big 12), Dayton (A 10), Georgetown (Big East), Miami (ACC)
Cayman Islands Classic (Nov. 23–25: George Town, Cayman Islands: 3 games)
George Washington (A 10), McNeese (Southland), Middle Tennessee (CUSA), Murray State (MVC)
Chicago MTE (Nov. TBA: campus sites and Nov. 9: Chicago, 2 or 3 games)
Indiana (Big Ten), Marquette (Big East), 1 or 2 TBA (Anonymous Eagle)
Portland Invitational (Nov. 21–23: Portland, Ore., 3 games)
Cal State Fullerton (Big West), Northern Colorado (Big Sky), Portland (WCC, host), St. Thomas (Summit, reclassifying year 4 of 4)
Sunshine Slam (Nov. 24 and 25: Daytona Beach, Fla.: 2 games)
Beach Bracket: Florida Atlantic (American), George Mason (A 10), Loyola Marymount (WCC), Ohio (MAC)
Ocean Bracket: Bethune-Cookman (SWAC), Jacksonville (ASUN), Pacific (WCC), Stony Brook (CAA)
American University MTE (Nov. 28–30: Washington, D.C., 3 games)
American (Patriot, host), Longwood (Big South), Maine (AE), Siena (MAAC) (Rocco Miller)
Fort Myers Tip-Off (Nov. 25 and 27: Fort Myers, Fla., 2 games)
East Carolina (American), Michigan State (Big Ten), North Carolina (ACC), St. Bonaventure (A 10)
Baha Mar Bahamas Championship (Nov. 20 and 21: Nassau, Bahamas: 2 games)
Memphis (American), Purdue (Big Ten), Texas Tech (Big 12), Wake Forest (ACC) (Purdue for Life alumni website, H/T Logan Borders, The D1 Docket (x2))

MTEs With Pre-Determined Matchups

Cathedral of College Basketball Classic (Nov. 28–30: Philadelphia, 3 games)
Hofstra (CAA), La Salle (A 10), Merrimack (MAAC), Penn (Ivy, host) (Rocco Miller)
Southwest Maui Invitational (Nov. 24–26: Lahaina, Hawai‘i, 3 games)
Arizona State (Big 12), Boise State (MW), Chaminade (DII, PacWest), NC State (ACC), Seton Hall (Big East), Texas (SEC), USC (Big Ten), Washington State (WCC, associate)
Rady Children’s Invitational (Nov. 27 and 28: San Diego, 2 games)
Florida (SEC), Providence (Big East), TCU (Big 12), Wisconsin (Big Ten) (Jon Rothstein, College Hoops Today)
Field of 68 Tip-Off (Nov. TBA: Lynchburg, Va.: 2 games) (Non-Exempt)
Charleston (CAA), Florida Atlantic (American), Liberty (CUSA)
Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 26–28: Paradise Island, Bahamas, 3 games)
Colorado State (MW), Saint Mary’s (WCC), South Florida (American), Vanderbilt (SEC), VCU (A 10), Virginia Tech (ACC), Western Kentucky (CUSA), Wichita State (American)
America East (6/9): Binghamton, Bryant, New Hampshire, NJIT, UAlbany, UMBC
ASUN (10/12): Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, FGCU, Lipscomb, North Alabama, North Florida, Stetson, West Georgia
Big Sky (9/10): Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Sacramento State, Weber State
Big South (7/9): Charleston Southern, High Point, Presbyterian, Radford, UNC Asheville, USC Upstate, Winthrop
Big West (9/11): Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN, Hawai’i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara
CAA (7/13): Campbell, Drexel, Elon, Hampton, North Carolina A&T, Northeastern, William & Mary
CUSA (9/12): Delaware*, FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Louisiana Tech, Missouri State*, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP
Horizon (9/11): Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, IU Indy, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Wright State, Youngstown State
Ivy (4/8): Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard
MAAC (9/13): Canisius, Fairfield, Manhattan, Marist, Mount St. Mary’s, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Rider, Saint Peter’s
MAC (8/13): Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
MEAC (8/8): Coppin State, Delaware State, Howard, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State
NEC (7/10): Central Connecticut, Chicago State, LIU, Mercyhurst, Saint Francis, Stonehill, Wagner
OVC (10/11): Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Little Rock, Morehead State, SIUE, Southeast Missouri, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin
Patriot (6/10): Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland
SoCon (9/10): Chattanooga, ETSU, Mercer, Samford, The Citadel, UNCG, VMI, Western Carolina, Wofford
Southland (9/12): Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, New Orleans, Nicholls, Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UTRGV
SWAC (11/12): Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Grambling, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern
Summit (7/9): Denver, Kansas City, North Dakota State, Omaha, Oral Roberts, South Dakota, South Dakota State
Sun Belt (13/14): App State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy, ULM
WAC (6/8): Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Tarleton, UT Arlington, Utah Tech, Utah Valley
Robert Morris MTE (Nov. TBA: Moon Township, Pa.: 2 or 3 games)
Buffalo (MAC), Robert Morris (Horizon, host), 1 or 2 TBA (Rocco Miller)
FDU MTE (Nov. 24–26: Hackensack, N.J., 2 games)
Army West Point (Patriot), East Texas A&M (Southland, reclassifying year 4 of 4), Fairleigh Dickinson (NEC, host) (Rocco Miller)
General Rules: Multiple-Team Events (NCAA.org, PDF)
Western Illinois MTE (Nov. TBA: Macomb, Ill.: 2 games)
Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt), North Dakota (Summit), Western Illinois (OVC, host) (The D1 Docket)
Villanova MTE (Nov. TBA: 3 games)
Duquesne (A 10, 2 home games); Queens (ASUN, reclassifying year 4 of 4, 1 home game); Sacred Heart (MAAC); Villanova (Big East, 3 home games) (Rocco Miller)
Note that while I am no longer active on Twitter, I still regularly check the accounts referenced here. If you have updates, email me at mcbb dot mte dot info at gmail dot com.
Unannounced dates are tentative. An asterisk (*) indicates a pending conference move for the 2025-26 season.
Multiple-Team Events: Frequently Asked Questions (NCAA.org, PDF)
U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 21–24: Charlotte Amalie, V.I., 3 games)
Akron (MAC), Charleston (CAA), Evansville (MVC), Green Bay (Horizon), Iona (MAAC), Oregon State (WCC, associate), UMass (MAC*), Yale (Ivy)
Alabama A&M MTE (Nov. TBA: Huntsville, Ala.: 2 games)
Alabama A&M (SWAC, host), Charleston Southern (Big South), Lindenwood (OVC) (Rocco Miller)

Teams Not Yet Attached To An MTE

CBS Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. TBA: 2 or 3 games; Nov. 27: Chicago)
Arkansas (SEC), Duke (ACC), 1 or 2 TBA (Matt Norlander)
Shriners Hospitals Charleston Classic (Nov. 21 and 23: Charleston, S.C.: 2 games)
Bracket 1: Clemson (ACC), Georgia (SEC), West Virginia (Big 12), Xavier (Big East)
Bracket 2: Boston College (ACC), Davidson (A 10), Tulane (American), Utah State (MW)
Acrisure Series (Nov. 25–28: Palm Desert, Calif., formats TBD)
Cal Baptist (WAC), Colorado (Big 12), Grand Canyon (WAC), Iowa (Big Ten), Loyola Chicago (A 10), Minnesota (Big Ten), Mississippi (SEC), Nevada (MW), Northern Iowa (MVC), Saint Louis (A 10), San Diego (WCC), San José State (MW), Santa Clara (WCC), Stanford (ACC), Tulsa (American), Washington (Big Ten) (Utah, Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun, Jon Rothstein, College Hoops Today)
Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 20 and 21: Kansas City, 2 games)
Kansas State (Big 12), Mississippi State (SEC), Nebraska (Big Ten), New Mexico (MW) (Jon Rothstein, College Hoops Today)