MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A new college basketball tournament is coming to the Grand Strand through a partnership among ESPN, Coastal Carolina University, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Myrtle Beach.
The city posted on Facebook that the early-season college basketball tournament will be hosted at the HTC Center on CCU’s campus November 15, 16 and 18 of this year.
The Myrtle Beach Invitational is a three-year commitment by ESPN, which will television the tournament nationally. The city reports several teams have already committed to this year’s tournament including, Cal State Fullerton, St. Joseph’s, UCF, Valparaiso, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Western Kentucky.
The eighth team will be announced later.
“After collaborating with Visit Myrtle Beach and the City of Myrtle Beach to move last year’s Puerto Rico Tip-Off to the area due to the effects of Hurricane Maria, we saw first-hand the community’s outstanding facilities and passion for college basketball,” said Pete Derzis, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming and ESPN Events.“Based on that experience, we determined that Myrtle Beach would be an ideal location for college basketball teams and their fans to visit each November.”
The tournament was announced during a news conference Wednesday at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. Click here for ticket information.
