Dayton last played in an Orlando tournament in November 2021, winning the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational. With the exception of the 2020-21 pandemic season, Dayton has played in eight-team tournaments every season since the 2012-13 season.
Last August, Dayton Athletic Director Neil Sullivan talked about the changing landscape regarding multi-team events. Events such as the Players Era Festival, which raises money for paying players, have put the more traditional tournaments in jeopardy.
“Obviously, we’re in the rotation of the best national preseason tournaments,” Sullivan said. “That has been really critical for our fan base, for our television exposure and for our resume. But they are changing. I think you’re going to see some of these tournaments move to four teams. You’re going to see NIL. You’re going to see a changing business model. It’s something that we have our eye on. I think that our basketball performance and our fan base gives us the opportunity to stay in the mix for a number of these, but I do think that over the next few years we’re going to see them look different.”
Dayton last played BYU in the Battle for Atlantis in 2022. It has not played Georgetown since the 1984 NCAA tournament. Dayton beat Miami in the first of the ESPN Events Invitational in 2021.
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