ORLANDO, Fla. — ESPN has revealed the bracket for this year’s annual Thanksgiving college basketball tournament at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, with Kansas and Miami headlining the event.
The ESPN Events Invitational will run Nov. 25, 26 and 28, with Saturday off between games. The tourney follows a bracket format with the last two undefeated teams squaring off Sunday in the championship.
Kansas returns to the tourney for the first time since winning the event in 2014. Dayton, which usually brings a big following of fans, is back at the event for the third time. The Flyers won it in 2011.
Five teams in the field reached last season’s NCAA Tournament: Kansas, Alabama, North Texas, Drake and Iowa. Dayton played in the NIT.
Miami opens the tourney on Thanksgiving day against Dayton at noon, followed by North Texas against Kansas. The evening portion of the first round features Alabama vs. Iona at 7 p.m, followed by Belmont against Drake.
This is the 15th year of the event, returning from last year’s COVID-19 hiatus. The event has been through several name changes, starting as the Old Spice Classic in 2006.
Past champions include Gonzaga, which won it in 2008, 2012 and 2016, as well as FSU, which won it in 2009.
