BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Florida Atlantic men's basketball team will be spending Thanksgiving weekend at Walt Disney World.
FAU announced this week that the Owls will play in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational.
The Owls will compete in the eight-team tournament taking place Nov. 23-26 at the State Farm Field House, located within the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney.
FAU will join Boise State, Butler, Iowa State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia Tech.
This will mark FAU's first appearance in Disney's signature college basketball tournament, which has been held every year since 2006 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Owls will be one of six NCAA tournament teams from last season to appear in the in-season tournament.
FAU finished the 2022-23 season with its first-ever Final Four appearance, a 35-4 record, which led the nation, and a No. 5 ranking in the final coaches poll. Head coach Dusty May, who in just five seasons has already become the program's all-time wins leader, was rewarded with a 10-year contract extension that would pay him a $100,000 bonus for getting the Owls back to the Final Four.