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ESPN Events Invitational facts for kids

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ESPN Events Invitational
ESPN Events Invitational Logo.png
Sport College Basketball (men's)
Founded 2006
No. of teams 8
Most recent
champion(s)
Florida Atlantic
Most titles Gonzaga (3)

The ESPN Events Invitational is a yearly college basketball tournament for men's teams. It happens around Thanksgiving weekend, usually on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. This exciting tournament started in 2006.

You can find the tournament at the State Farm Field House inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. This complex is part of the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

Eight different college teams play in the tournament each year. All eight teams are guaranteed to play three games. If a team loses its first game, it moves to a "consolation bracket." This means they can still play more games, but the best they can finish is 5th place. If a team wins its first game, the lowest they can finish is 4th place. The final standings are decided by special games for 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th place. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference helps organize the tournament. In 2020, the tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tournament Winners and Standings

This table shows how teams have finished in the ESPN Events Invitational over the years. You can see who won (First place) and how other teams ranked.

Year First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth
2006 Arkansas West Virginia Marist Western Michigan Southern Illinois Virginia Tech Montana Minnesota
2007 NC State Villanova George Mason Kansas State South Carolina Rider UCF Penn State
2008 Gonzaga Tennessee Georgetown Maryland Michigan State Wichita State Oklahoma State Siena
2009 Florida State Marquette Alabama Michigan Baylor Xavier Iona Creighton
2010 Notre Dame Wisconsin Boston College California Texas A&M Temple Georgia Manhattan
2011 Dayton Minnesota Indiana State Fairfield DePaul Arizona State Wake Forest Texas Tech
2012 Gonzaga Davidson Oklahoma West Virginia Clemson Marist Vanderbilt UTEP
2013 Memphis Oklahoma State LSU Butler Saint Joseph's Washington State Purdue Siena
2014 Kansas Michigan State Marquette Tennessee Georgia Tech Rhode Island Santa Clara Rider
2015 Xavier Dayton Monmouth USC Alabama Notre Dame Iowa Wichita State
2016 Gonzaga Iowa State Florida Miami Stanford Seton Hall Quinnipiac Indiana State
2017 West Virginia Missouri St. John's UCF Nebraska Long Beach State Oregon State Marist
2018 Villanova Florida State Oklahoma State LSU College of Charleston Memphis UAB Canisius
2019 Maryland Marquette USC Harvard Temple Davidson Fairfield Texas A&M
2020 No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 Dayton Belmont Kansas Iona Alabama Miami (FL) North Texas Drake
2022 Oklahoma Ole Miss Siena Seton Hall Memphis Stanford Nebraska Florida State
2023 Florida Atlantic Virginia Tech Texas A&M Iowa State Butler Boise State VCU Penn State

How the Tournament Works

The ESPN Events Invitational uses a bracket system to decide which teams play each other. Teams play through different rounds, like the first round, semifinals, and then championship or placement games.

The asterisk (*) next to a score means the game went into an overtime period. This happens when the score is tied at the end of regular playing time.

2023 Tournament Results

The 2023 tournament took place from November 23 to November 26.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 26
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 24
First Round
Thursday, November 23
Semifinals
Friday, November 24
Championship
Sunday, November 26
Penn State 77
12 Texas A&M 89
Penn State 78 12 Texas A&M 89
Butler 88 19 Florida Atlantic 96
19 Florida Atlantic 91
Butler 86
Butler 70 19 Florida Atlantic 84
Boise State 56 Virginia Tech 50
Iowa State 68
VCU 64
7th Place Game VCU 61 Iowa State 62 3rd Place Game
Boise State 65 Virginia Tech 71
Penn State 74 Boise State 75 12 Texas A&M 73
VCU 86 Virginia Tech 82 Iowa State 69

2022 Tournament Results

The 2022 tournament took place from November 24 to November 27.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 27
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 25
First Round
Thursday, November 24
Semifinals
Friday, November 25
Championship
Sunday, November 27
Florida State 63
Siena 80
Florida State 60 Siena 62
Stanford 70 Ole Miss 74
Ole Miss 72
Stanford 68
Stanford 48 Ole Miss 55
Memphis 56 Oklahoma 59
Oklahoma 69
Nebraska 56
7th Place Game Nebraska 61 Oklahoma 77 3rd Place Game
Memphis 73 Seton Hall 64
Florida State 58 Memphis 69 Siena 60
Nebraska 75 Seton Hall 70 Seton Hall 55

2021 Tournament Results

The 2021 tournament took place from November 25 to November 28.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 28
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 26
First Round
Thursday, November 25
Semifinals
Friday, November 26
Championship
Sunday, November 28
Dayton 76
Miami (FL) 60
Miami (FL) 69 Dayton 74
North Texas 63 4 Kansas 73
North Texas 59
4 Kansas 71
Miami (FL) 64 Dayton 63
10 Alabama 96 Belmont 61
10 Alabama 68
Iona 72
7th Place Game 10 Alabama 80 Iona 65 3rd Place Game
Drake 71 Belmont 72
North Texas 57 Belmont 74 4 Kansas 96
Drake 54 Drake 69 Iona 83

2019 Tournament Results

The 2019 tournament took place from November 28 to December 1.

5th Place Game
Sunday, December 1
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 29
First Round
Thursday, November 28
Semifinals
Friday, November 29
Championship
Sunday, December 1
5 Maryland 76
Temple 69
Temple 65 5 Maryland 80
Texas A&M 42 Harvard 73
Texas A&M 51
Harvard 62
Temple 66 5 Maryland 84
Davidson 53 Marquette 63
USC 54
Fairfield 47
7th Place Game Fairfield 56 USC 79 3rd Place Game
Davidson 67 Marquette 101
Texas A&M 62 Davidson 63 Harvard 62
Fairfield 67 Marquette 73 USC 77

2018 Tournament Results

The 2018 tournament took place from November 22 to November 25.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 25
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 23
First Round
Thursday, November 22
Semifinals
Friday, November 23
Championship
Sunday, November 25
Villanova 83
Canisius 56
Canisius 63 Villanova 77
Memphis 71 Oklahoma State 58
Oklahoma State 84
Memphis 64
Memphis 75 Villanova 66
College of Charleston 78 14 Florida State 60
College of Charleston 55
19 LSU 67
7th Place Game College of Charleston 74 19 LSU 76 3rd Place Game
UAB 51 14 Florida State 79*
Canisius 62 UAB 63 Oklahoma State 90
UAB 68 14 Florida State 81 19 LSU 77

2017 Tournament Results

The 2017 tournament took place from November 23 to November 26.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 26
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 24
First Round
Thursday, November 23
Semifinals
Friday, November 24
Championship
Sunday, November 26
Missouri 95
Long Beach State 58
Long Beach State 74 Missouri 90
Oregon State 69 St. John's 82
St. John's 82
Oregon State 77
Long Beach State 80 Missouri 79
Nebraska 85 23 West Virginia 83
UCF 68
Nebraska 59
7th Place Game Nebraska 84 UCF 45 3rd Place Game
Marist 59 23 West Virginia 83
Oregon State 65 23 West Virginia 84 St. John's 46
Marist 46 Marist 78 UCF 43

2016 Tournament Results

The 2016 tournament took place from November 24 to November 27.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 27
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 25
First Round
Thursday, November 24
Semifinals
Friday, November 25
Championship
Sunday, November 27
Indiana State 71
21 Iowa State 73
Quinnipiac 90 21 Iowa State 72
Seton Hall Miami (FL)
Stanford 53
Miami (FL) 67
Stanford 52 21 Iowa State 73
Seton Hall 11 Gonzaga
11 Gonzaga 82
Quinnipiac 62
7th Place Game 11 Gonzaga 3rd Place Game
Florida
Indiana State 80 Seton Hall 76 Miami (FL) 65
Quinnipiac Florida 81 Florida

2015 Tournament Results

The 2015 tournament took place from November 26 to November 29.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 29
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 27
First Round
Thursday, November 26
Semifinals
Friday, November 27
Championship
Sunday, November 29
Alabama 45
23 Xavier 64
Notre Dame 62 23 Monmouth 73
20 Iowa Dayton
20 Wichita State 69
USC 72
Alabama 73 23 Xavier 61
17 Notre Dame Dayton
17 Notre Dame 68
Monmouth 70
7th Place Game 17 3rd Place Game
20 Wichita State 84 Iowa 77 USC 83
Iowa Dayton 82 Monmouth

2014 Tournament Results

The 2014 tournament took place from November 27 to November 30.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 30
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 28
First Round
Thursday, November 27
Semifinals
Friday, November 28
Championship
Sunday, November 30
Santa Clara 57
Tennessee 64
Rider 61 Michigan State 68
Georgia Tech 11 Marquette
11 Kansas 76
Rhode Island 60
Rhode Island 64 11 Kansas 56
Georgia Tech 20 Michigan State
20 Michigan State 77
Rider 45
7th Place Game 20 3rd Place Game
Santa Clara 60 Marquette 72 Tennessee 67
Rider Georgia Tech 70 Marquette

2013 Tournament Results

The 2013 tournament took place from November 28 to December 1.

5th Place Game
Sunday, December 1
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 29
First Round
Thursday, November 28
Semifinals
Friday, November 29
Championship
Sunday, December 1
Purdue 87
5 Oklahoma State 97
Siena 78 5 Memphis 69
Saint Joseph's LSU
Butler 76
Washington State 69
Washington State 72 5 Oklahoma State 73
Saint Joseph's 21 Memphis
21 Memphis 87
Siena 60
7th Place Game 21 3rd Place Game
Purdue 63 LSU 82 Butler 70*
Siena Saint Joseph's 65 LSU

2012 Tournament Results

The 2012 tournament took place from November 24 to November 27.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 25
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 23
First Round
Thursday, November 22
Semifinals
Friday, November 23
Championship
Sunday, November 25
West Virginia 87
Marist 44
UTEP 69 Oklahoma 72
Clemson Gonzaga
Vanderbilt 62
Davidson 75
Marist 59 Davidson 81
Clemson 17 Gonzaga
UTEP 61
Oklahoma 68
7th Place Game 3rd Place Game
17
Vanderbilt 49 Clemson 49 West Virginia 77
UTEP 17 Gonzaga 57 Oklahoma

2011 Tournament Results

The 2011 tournament took place from November 24 to November 27.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 27
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 25
First Round
Thursday, November 24
Semifinals
Friday, November 25
Championship
Sunday, November 27
Texas Tech 49
Indiana State 60
Wake Forest 84 Dayton 49
Arizona State Fairfield
Minnesota 86
DePaul 85
DePaul 64 Minnesota 86
Arizona State 17 Dayton
Dayton 80
Wake Forest 76
7th Place Game 3rd Place Game
17
Texas Tech 70 Arizona State 44 Indiana State 66
Wake Forest Fairfield 55 Fairfield

2010 Tournament Results

The 2010 tournament took place from November 25 to November 28.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 28
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 26
First Round
Thursday, November 25
Semifinals
Friday, November 26
Championship
Sunday, November 28
Boston College 67
Texas A&M 65
Georgia 65 Notre Dame 44
Temple California
Wisconsin 50
Manhattan 35
Texas A&M 51 Wisconsin 58
20 Temple 17 Notre Dame
Georgia 83
Notre Dame 89**
7th Place Game 3rd Place Game
20
Georgia 58 20 Temple 50 Boston College 46
Manhattan California 57 California

2009 Tournament Results

The 2009 tournament took place from November 26 to November 29.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 29
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 27
First Round
Thursday, November 26
Semifinals
Friday, November 27
Championship
Sunday, November 29
Florida State 49
15 Iona
Baylor 62 15 Alabama 60
Iona Florida State
Xavier 69 Marquette 57
Baylor Florida State
7th Place Game 3rd Place Game
20
Creighton 63 15 Michigan 68
Iona Alabama

2008 Tournament Results

The 2008 tournament took place from November 27 to November 30.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 30
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 28
First Round
Thursday, November 27
Semifinals
Friday, November 28
Championship
Sunday, November 30
12 Tennessee 78
Siena 64
Michigan State 79 12 Maryland 81
Oklahoma State 21 Gonzaga
Wichita State 50
21 Georgetown 58
Wichita State 65 12 Tennessee 83
5 Michigan State 9 Gonzaga
Maryland 80
5 Michigan State 62
7th Place Game 5 3rd Place Game
9
Siena 68 Oklahoma State 71 21 Georgetown 48
Oklahoma State 9 Gonzaga 83 Maryland

2007 Tournament Results

The 2007 tournament took place from November 22 to November 25.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 25
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 23
First Round
Thursday, November 22
Semifinals
Friday, November 23
Championship
Sunday, November 25
George Mason 77
Kansas State 67
UCF 73 Villanova 78
Kansas State George Mason
Rider 82 NC State 68
20 Kansas State 19 Villanova
19
7th Place Game 19 3rd Place Game
20
Penn State 70 South Carolina 69
UCF 20 George Mason

2006 Tournament Results

The first tournament took place from November 23 to November 26.

5th Place Game
Sunday, November 26
Consolation 2nd Round
Friday, November 24
First Round
Thursday, November 23
Semifinals
Friday, November 24
Championship
Sunday, November 26
West Virginia 56
Montana 53
Virginia Tech 56 Western Michigan 79
Montana West Virginia
Southern Illinois 64 Arkansas 64
20 Virginia Tech West Virginia
7th Place Game 3rd Place Game
Minnesota 72 Marist 78
Montana Western Michigan

See also

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