Florida basketball to participate in 16-team 2017 Phil Knight Invitational tournament

Basketball

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In celebration of the 80th birthday of the co-founder of Nike, a college basketball tournament will be held in Portland, Oregon, featuring 16 of the top teams in the country all sponsored by the shoe and apparel company.

The 2017 Phil Knight Invitational, which was first reported as being in the works four years ago, will feature the Florida Gators, Arkansas, Butler, UConn, Duke, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Portland, Portland State, Stanford and Texas.

The event, which consists of two eight-team tournaments, will be held from Nov. 23-27 at the Rose Quarter’s Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. There will be a champion named from each “bracket,” though those winners will not face each other in a final game. The brackets have not been announced as of press time.

“What a great way to celebrate Phil Knight and all that he and Nike have done for college basketball and the Florida Gators. We’re excited and honored to be part of this field that features so many excellent programs,” said Florida head basketball coach Mike White in release from ESPN, which will televise every tournament game.