UNC Basketball programs to compete in Phil Knight Invitational

UNC basketball will be well-represented in the Phil Knight Invitational, as both the men’s and women’s programs will compete in the annual event.

It looks like the UNC basketball programs will be spending their Thanksgiving holiday in Portland!

On Tuesday afternoon, the men’s and women’s fields were announced for this year’s Phil Knight Invitational (PKI), which is scheduled for November 24-27 in Portland, Oregon. Both Tar Heel squads are among the teams that will be participating.

The PKI will feature eight men’s teams along with four women’s teams. North Carolina is one of four schools in the tournament that are sending both of their respective teams, as Iowa State, Michigan State and Oregon will also be fielding two teams for the event.

We’ll have to wait to see how the matchups work out, as the official brackets and game schedules will not be released until the summer. However, we do know that each men’s team will play one game per day on November 24, 25, and 27, while the women’s teams will play one contest on both November 24 and 27.

The men’s portion of the tournament will feature a very competitive field of teams. Along with the teams mentioned prior, Alabama, Portland, UConn, and Villanova are among this year’s field.

This will not be the only time that both Tar Heels teams compete in the same event for the 2022-2023 season. North Carolina is scheduled to participate in the 2022 Jumpman Invitational, which is scheduled for December in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Clint Overby, the vice president at ESPN Events, had this to say in regards to the release of the teams competing in this year’s Phil Knight Invitational:

"“We are honored to bring together some of the best men’s and women’s college basketball teams in tribute to Phil Knight and his lasting impact on the sport. The quality of both fields along with the multi-venue setup will make Portland the epicenter of college hoops this Thanksgiving weekend.”"

Of course, we still have plenty of basketball left for the 2021-2022 season. However, it’s never too early to start thinking about the future schedule, especially if you plan on traveling to see your favorite Tar Heels teams in action over the next couple of months!

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates surrounding the UNC basketball programs.