Just days after learning about Florida’s ACC-SEC Challenge matchup, another piece of the puzzle has dropped. The Gators will participate in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando from Nov. 26-29, according to Swamp247.
Minnesota, Wake Forest and Wichita State are the other known teams in the tournament. That leaves the other half of the field a mystery, but ESPN Events will make an official announcement at a later date.
Win or lose, high-profile tournaments like this mean more opportunities for Quadrant 1 and 2 games on the schedule. Losing Q1 games rarely hurts a team’s NCAA Tournament chances, while wins can help cement a team into the Field of 64.
The rest of the 2024-25 schedule should become clearer once the SEC matchups are released at the end of the summer.
Florida’s last time playing in the event came in 2016 under then-second-year head coach Mike White. The Gators beat Seton Hall in the opening round, 81-76, and lost to Gonzaga, 77-72, in the semifinals. However, Gator Nation left the tournament happy following a 65-56 win over Miami in the third-place game.
The Florida Atlantic Owls won the championship last season over Virginia Tech in a 34-point blowout.
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