FORT MYERS, Fla. – Opening-round matchups for the Beach Division of the 2023 Fort Myers Tip-Off are set as Wisconsin will square off against Virginia at 6 p.m. ET and West Virginia will face SMU at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. Third-place and championship contests are set for the same times on Nov. 22. All games will be televised by FS1.
The Badgers and Cavaliers have faced each other six times previously, with Virginia owning a 4-2 mark in the series. The Cavaliers have won two straight in the series. It will be the first all-time meeting between West Virginia and SMU.
The four programs have combined for 82 conference regular season or tournament championships and 92 NCAA Tournament appearances. Wisconsin and Virginia have each appeared in the Final Four within the last decade and the Cavaliers claimed the 2019 NCAA Championship.
Travel packages are on sale now for Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia and SMU fans looking to spend Thanksgiving Week with their favorite teams in Southwest Florida. Official fan travel packages include tickets to each Beach Division game, hotel accommodations and parking at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. For complete travel package information, log on to www.fortmyerstipoff.com/travel.
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village and the Marriott Sanibel Harbor Resort & Spa are the host hotels for the Beach Division teams of the Fort Myers Tip-off, and fans will have the opportunity to stay where the teams stay and experience resort life to the fullest. Additionally, the Luminary Hotel & Co., a boutique hotel that opened in September 2020, is the premium destination to enjoy the many attractions of historic and lively downtown Fort Myers.
At this time, the only way to guarantee tickets for the 2023 Fort Myers Tip-Off is to purchase an official fan travel package. Ticket-only packages, based on availability, will become available this fall. To receive the latest email alerts regarding tournament news, ticket information and more, visit our website at www.fortmyerstipoff.com.
“The excitement for this year’s tournament continues to build as we get closer to tip off,” said Mark Starsiak, vice president at Intersport and tournament director of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. “Each program brings not only a successful basketball pedigree but also an incredibly passionate fan base that we expect turning out in full force this Thanksgiving. This promises to be one of the most highly anticipated tournaments that we’ve had in our short history.”
Coming up on its sixth year, the Fort Myers Tip-Off has become one of the top early-season events in the country and a fixture in the Southwest Florida sports calendar. The tournament, which has hosted several Final Four-caliber programs in its first five seasons will welcome four power conference programs to the Beach Division for the third straight year (Georgia Tech, Marquette, Mississippi State and Utah in 2022; Florida, Ohio State, Cal and Seton Hall in 2021).
Nationally recognized brands have also aligned themselves with the high-profile nature of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Premium partners Old Trapper Beef Jerky, State Farm, Libman, O’Reilly Auto Parts and more have annually partnered with the event and return once again in 2023.
