Virginia Tech men’s basketball has been selected as one of eight teams to compete in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational, Nov. 23, 24 and 26, as announced by ESPN Events on Thursday.
The eight-team tournament is held Thanksgiving weekend at the State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. With the official tournament announcement, Orlando native Hunter Cattoor will have the opportunity to play in front of a hometown crowd in his fifth year of eligibility.
The Hokies will be joined in the Sunshine State by Boise State, Butler, Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Penn State, Texas A&M and VCU. Six of those teams competed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Tech concluded its 2022-23 season at 19-15 and return three starters in Cattoor, point guard Sean Pedulla and guard MJ Collins.
Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game Sunday, Nov. 26. All games will air on the ESPN family of networks.
This will be the 17th year of the tournament, one of 10 college basketball events on the ESPN Events roster of 32 college athletic competitions. Tech will be making its second appearance in the tournament, going 1-2 in 2006.
Opponents, game times and ticket information will be announced later this summer.
Field Highlights
Six of the eight teams played in the 2023 NCAA Tournament: FAU (Final Four), Penn State (second round) as well as Boise State, Iowa State, Texas A&M and VCU.
FAU is the first ESPN Events Invitational team coming off a Final Four appearance since Villanova in 2018. The Owls are currently ranked No. 9 in ESPN.com’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Texas A&M is ranked No. 18 in ESPN.com’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Virginia Tech played in the 2023 NIT.
Boise State, FAU and VCU are all making their first appearance at the ESPN Events Invitational.
Three schools in the field – Butler (2010), FAU (2023) and VCU (2011) – have made Final Four appearances since 2010.
Virginia Tech Athletics
