FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 22, 2025) – East Carolina will be the fourth team making up the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division field, which is set for Nov. 25 and 27 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. The Pirates join Michigan State, North Carolina and St. Bonaventure for the eighth-annual event.
With East Carolina officially joining the field, the gameday schedule for the event has been confirmed (game times and television platforms will be announced in the coming weeks):
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Michigan State vs. East Carolina
North Carolina vs. St. Bonaventure
Thursday, Nov. 27
East Carolina vs. St. Bonaventure
Michigan State vs. North Carolina
East Carolina will face Michigan State and St. Bonaventure for the first time, while the Bonnies will face North Carolina for just the second time. Michigan State and North Carolina will meet on Thanksgiving Day for what will be the 18th all-time matchup between the storied programs.
East Carolina, led by fourth-year head coach Michael Schwartz, is coming off a season that saw the Pirates win 19 games, including 10 victories during conference play. Their 19 overall wins are the most since the 2012-13 season, and their 10 league wins are the most since joining the American Athletic Conference and marks the first time since 1974-75 the team has recorded double-digit conference victories. Schwartz has brought a winning pedigree to the Pirates program, having won at least one game in the American Athletic Conference Tournament in each of the last three years; prior to his arrival, the program had won only two games in the conference tournament in eight seasons.
Official fan travel packages will start becoming available on June 12 and include tickets to both of a chosen team’s games, hotel accommodations and parking at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. For complete travel package information, log on to www.fortmyerstipoff.com/travel. At this time, the only way to guarantee tickets to the Fort Myers Tip-Off, which sold out last year, is through official fan travel packages, which offer a variety of hotel night options. Ticket packages, if available, will go on sale this fall.
The Fort Myers Tip-Off, launched in 2018, has become a staple of the early season college basketball calendar, regularly bringing championship-caliber programs to Southwest Florida on an annual basis. Gonzaga, Kansas, Auburn, 2025 national champion Florida, Ohio State, Marquette, Wisconsin, Virginia and Michigan, among others, have recently participated in the event.
To receive the latest email alerts regarding tournament news, ticket information and more, visit our website at www.fortmyerstipoff.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
About the Fort Myers Tip-Off
An annual celebration of men’s and women’s college basketball, the Fort Myers Tip-Off welcomes the top programs from around the country for incredible competition to see which teams and their fans will #OwnTheFort during Thanksgiving Week. Contested at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, the home of Florida SouthWestern State College, the Fort Myers Tip-Off has quickly become a staple of the Southwest Florida sports calendar. To receive the latest email alerts regarding tournament news, ticket information and more, visit our website at www.fortmyerstipoff.com or www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
