The best week of the college basketball regular season arrives before December even starts. Feast Week packs the calendar with destination tournaments and neutral-site showdowns, from Maui to the Bahamas to Las Vegas, and it is where the early Top 25 picture really takes shape. Here is the full 2026 slate of marquee early-season events, with dates and locations, plus a printable schedule to plan your viewing.
The 2026 Feast Week and early-season tournament schedule
| Event | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm Champions Classic | Nov 10, 2026 | United Center, Chicago |
| Players Era Festival (Rd 1) | Nov 17-19, 2026 | Las Vegas |
| Shriners Charleston Classic | Nov 20 & 22, 2026 | Charleston, SC |
| Maui Invitational | Nov 23-25, 2026 | Maui, Hawaii |
| ESPN Events Invitational | Nov 23-27, 2026 | Kissimmee, FL |
| Battle 4 Atlantis | Thanksgiving week | Paradise Island, Bahamas |
| Players Era Festival (Rd 2) | Nov 24-28, 2026 | Las Vegas |
| Dick Vitale Invitational | Nov 27, 2026 | Charlotte, NC |
| Jimmy V Classic | Dec 8, 2026 | Madison Square Garden, NY |
Fields and exact tip times are finalized closer to the events, and we will keep this list current as brackets are set.
The marquee events to circle
The season really opens with the State Farm Champions Classic on November 10 at the United Center in Chicago, a blue-blood doubleheader featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Thanksgiving week then goes wall to wall: the Maui Invitational (November 23-25) remains the crown jewel, the Battle 4 Atlantis takes over Paradise Island in the Bahamas with a field that includes Penn State, Xavier, Mississippi State, and Wake Forest, and the big-money Players Era Festival runs two waves in Las Vegas. The ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee and the Charleston Classic round out the week, before the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 8 delivers Houston-Alabama and Georgia-Duke.
How to watch
Most of these events air across the ESPN and Fox families, with several tournaments streaming on ESPN+ and Peacock. See our 2026-27 college basketball TV schedule for the full network and streaming breakdown by conference.
More from Basketball Schedules
Get the full 2026-27 college basketball schedule and key dates, and when bracket season arrives, print our free 2027 March Madness bracket.
FAQ
What is Feast Week in college basketball?
Feast Week is the Thanksgiving-week stretch when most of the sport’s marquee early-season tournaments are played, including Maui, Battle 4 Atlantis, and the Players Era Festival.
When is the 2026 Maui Invitational?
The 2026 Maui Invitational runs November 23-25 in Hawaii.
When is the Champions Classic in 2026?
November 10, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State.
