Men's Basketball to Participate in ESPN Events Invitational

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2026 ESPN Events Invitational, as the field was announced Thursday.
 
Belmont will be in the Adventure Group with a collection of programs with championship and postseason pedigrees: Akron, Appalachian State, St. Bonaventure, Wright State, and Yale.
 
Games will be played Nov. 23-25 from State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida and will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
 
Belmont was runner-up in the 2021 ESPN Events Invitational, defeating NCAA Tournament teams Drake and Iona before falling to Dayton, 63-61, on the final possession of the championship game. Legendary broadcasters Jon Sciambi and Dick Vitale called the Bruins' run.
 
Belmont legend Nick Muszynski ('22) averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game on 67 percent shooting en route to 2021 ESPN Events Invitational All-Tournament Team honors.
 
UCF, Georgia, Cincinnati, and Boston College will participate in the Magic Group.
 
Belmont has a strong track record in multi-team events (MTE), going 13-4 over the last six years with tournament championships in the Paradise Jam and Coconut Hoops.
 
Belmont will open the season Oct. 8 in a preseason game at Duke.
 
To ensure your seat for the entire Belmont home basketball schedule game, purchase 2026-27 Belmont Men's & Women's Basketball Season Tickets today.
 
To inquire about group experiences, click here.
 
Fans can sign up for first access to pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational web site. Tickets will go on sale later this summer.
 
Belmont University men's basketball has been a postseason fixture for the last two decades, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 21 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (behind Gonzaga and Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 16 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga and Kansas) and 19 or more games in 21 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and San Diego State). Belmont is among select programs with two or more first-round selections in the NBA Draft over the last six years (Ben Sheppard, Dylan Windler). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 20 Academic All-America selections since 2001 and is the only NCAA Division I program to make the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Honor Roll every year of its existence. Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in America whose men's and women's basketball programs have won 20 or more games in 11 consecutive seasons.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's basketball on social media - @BelmontMBB on X, formerly Twitter and @belmont_mbb on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
 
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere 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.
 
About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is where sports dreams come true for athletes and fans of all ages. Located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the complex is the home of a variety of events including Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening in 1997. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 260+-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena and two versatile field houses for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose fields for outdoor sports including soccer, football and field hockey. The complex includes a professional production center that produces content for global distribution on the Disney family of networks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos.