WICHITA, Kan. – Wichita State men’s basketball will spend Thanksgiving participating in the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational at the Walt Disney World Resort, Nov. 28-29.
The four-team field features Florida (SEC), Minnesota (Big Ten) and Wake Forest (ACC) and the Shockers out of the American Athletic Conference. The Shockers are making their third appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational and first since 2015.
Wichita State will play two games – bracket to be announced in the coming weeks – at State Farm Field House on the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.
This is the 18th year Walt Disney World has hosted the ESPN Events Invitational at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the first time the NIT Season Tip-Off has been held at the site. All the games will once again be played at State Farm Field House a venue that has been the site of world-class basketball competitions including NBA games and elite youth tournaments.
Fans can sign up for first access to pre-sale tickets on the ESPN Events Invitational website. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.
The Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is the official tournament host property, offering fan packages which will be available this summer. Experience Kissimmee is also offering discounted rates at nearby hotels. Both will be able to be found in the travel section of the event website.
Field Highlights
• Florida (SEC) reached the NCAA Tournament last season, played in the event in 2016, finishing runner-up to Gonzaga. The Gators are ranked #20 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. Florida is coming off its highest win total (24-12) in seven years and set a program scoring record at 85.6 points per game.
• Minnesota (Big Ten) will be making its first appearance at the ESPN Events Invitational and its first trip to the state of Florida since a game at Florida State in Nov. 2016. The Gophers reached the second round of the 2023 NIT, producing a 10-win turnaround in head coach Ben Johnson’s second season.
• Wake Forest (ACC) has won 10 or more ACC games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 2005-2007. The Demon Deacons have won at least 20 games overall in two of the last three seasons, and advanced to the second round of the 2023 NIT. Wake Forest previously played in the Orlando event in 2011.
• Wichita State (AAC) returns seven letterwinners and three starters from a team that was playing its best basketball at the end of the season in 2023-24. Head Coach Paul Mills will have one of the most experienced teams in all of college basketball in year two at the helm of the Shockers.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and You
About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, is the home of Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and one of the premier sites for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts dozens of events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena in addition to two field houses for basketball, volleyball, eSports and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey. The complex also contains a professional production center that produces content for the Disney family of networks for global distribution. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com
