Temple to Compete in Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational

BRISTOL, Conn. – The Temple University men's basketball team will head to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort for the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational, taking place Nov. 24-26, ESPN announced Wednesday.

The Owls are slated to compete in the ADVENTURE BRACKET, one of three featured in this year's expanded format. Each team will play three games in three consecutive days. Temple's bracket includes Bradley, Liberty, Princeton, Rhode Island, Towson, UC San Diego and Vermont. The full bracket and schedule will be released later this summer.

"We're thrilled for the opportunity to compete in the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational at ESPN's Wide World of Sports," said Temple head coach Adam Fisher. "This prestigious event brings together high-level programs in an incredible setting, with great competition for three straight days."

Temple returns to Orlando for an in-season tournament for the first time since 2019–20, when the Owls went 2–1 at the Orlando Invitational. After falling to Maryland (76–69), Temple bounced back with wins over Texas A&M (65–42) and Davidson (66–53).

This marks Temple's sixth in-season tournament appearance in Orlando and its third in an ESPN-affiliated event. The Owls previously competed in the 1982–83 Tangerine Bowl (1–1), 1992–93 Orlando Sunshine Classic (1–1), 1994–95 7-Up Shootout (1–0), 2010–11 Old Spice Classic (1–2) and the 2019–20 Orlando Invitational (2–1).

Additionally, Temple has traveled to Orlando for postseason play, including the 1996 NCAA Tournament and the 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament.

This year marks the 19th time Walt Disney World has hosted Thanksgiving week college basketball at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the first time the event will feature three brackets. All games will be played at State Farm Field House, a venue that has hosted NBA games and elite youth tournaments.

Fans can sign up for early access to pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational website. Tickets will go on sale later this summer in conjunction with the bracket and schedule release.

A total of 16 teams will battle in three brackets during the five-day tournament. The MAGIC BRACKET includes BYU, Dayton, Georgetown and Miami. The semifinals will be played on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27, with the championship and consolation games on Friday, Nov. 28. The IMAGINATION BRACKET includes Charlotte, Furman, Illinois State and Richmond. The semifinals will be played on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27, with the championship and consolation games on Friday, Nov. 28.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is located just 21 miles from Orlando International Airport (MCO), which offers nonstop service to more than 100 domestic destinations. Traveling fans are encouraged to visit Experience Kissimmee's website to explore accommodations ranging from major resorts to vacation homes. With the world's largest inventory of vacation rentals, Kissimmee is known as the Vacation Home Capital of the World.

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 Terry's Chocolate
Terry's Chocolate is more than a chocolate, it's an experience. Tap it, unwrap it and enjoy it: this ritual has been tempting the United Kingdom since 1926 and has become popular in the U.S. market with several million balls sold each year. This unique and interactive format has made the Terry's Chocolate a must-have Christmas stocking-stuffer and the perfect token gift all year round. Terry's, time to have a blast!

About ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, is the home of Disney Soccer and Disney Spring Training and one of the premier sites for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts dozens of events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields; a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena in addition to two field houses for basketball, volleyball, eSports and other indoor sports; and 17 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey. The complex also contains a professional production center that produces content for the Disney family of networks for global distribution. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos and www.espnwwos.com for the latest calendar of events.

Temple In-Season Tournaments in Orlando

2019-20: ORLANDO INVITATIONAL (2-1)