Highly Anticipated Fort Myers Tip-Off Begins Monday
FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 18, 2023) – The sixth-annual Fort Myers Tip-Off gets underway Monday with highly anticipated matchups set over the course of three days inside Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.
The sold out Beach Division begins Monday night with Wisconsin facing Virginia at 6 p.m. ET and West Virginia taking on SMU at 8:30 p.m. and concludes Wednesday with the third-place game and championship games at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively. All four Beach Division games will air live on FS1 with Jeff Levering and LaPhonso Ellis on the call.
Virginia enters the tournament with a perfect 4-0 mark and will face a Wisconsin team that is 2-2 on the young season, with losses to a top-10 Tennessee team and on the road to Providence. The Badgers and Cavaliers have faced each other six times previously, with Virginia owning a 4-2 mark in the series. West Virginia and SMU each carry winning records into their opening-round matchup. The Mountaineers are 2-1 on the season while the Mustangs are 3-1. This will be the first all-time matchup between the two programs.
The Palms Division will feature a three-game round-robin schedule between Appalachian State, Murray State and UNC Wilmington. UNC Wilmington will face Murray State on Monday at 1:30 p.m. and Appalachian State on Tuesday at Noon. Appalachian State will take on Murray State at Noon on Wednesday. UNC Wilmington and Murray State have met just once previously, with the Seahawks holding the 1-0 advantage. It will be the first all-time meeting between Appalachian State and Murray State, while Appalachian State and UNC play for the 20th time, with the Mountaineers holding an 11-8 all-time edge.
Below is the complete schedule of Fort Myers Tip-Off contests:
| Date | Division | Matchup | Time (ET) | Broadcast |
| Nov. 20 | Palms Division | UNC Wilmington vs. Murray State | 1:30 p.m. | FSWBucs.com |
| Nov. 20 | Beach Division* | Wisconsin vs. Virginia | 6 p.m. | FS1 |
| Nov. 20 | Beach Division* | West Virginia vs. SMU | 8:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| Nov. 21 | Palms Division | UNC Wilmington vs. Appalachian State | Noon | FSWBucs.com |
| Nov. 22 | Palms Division | Appalachian State vs. Murray State | Noon | FSWBucs.com |
| Nov. 22 | Beach Division* | Beach Division Third-Place Game | 6 p.m. | FS1 |
| Nov. 22 | Beach Division* | Beach Division Championship Game | 8:30 p.m. | FS1 |
* Indicates tickets are sold out
Tickets remain available for the three Palms Division matchups and can be purchased by visiting www.fortmyerstipolff.com/tickets.
For regular event updates on the Fort Myers Tip-Off, follow the event on social media through the Intersport Basketball social media handles on Twitter (X) and Instagram.
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 six days of 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. For more information and to stay updated on the participating teams, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or visit www.fortmyerstipoff.com or www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com.
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Retail Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Property Creation, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps its clients engage consumers with compelling ideas, content and experiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.