ATLANTA (Aug. 15, 2024) — Georgia, Marshall, Penn State and Tulsa will compete in the inaugural WBCA Showcase at Walt Disney World Resort, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. The college women’s basketball event will be held Thursday and Saturday, Nov. 21 and 23, 2024, and will continue on Sunday, Nov. 24, with a doubleheader featuring four different teams — Jacksonville, Louisville, Mississippi State and South Florida.
All six games will be played in State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which has a storied history of hosting elite men’s and women’s college basketball events including the ESPN Events Invitational that has been held there since 2006. ESPN Wide World of Sports also previously hosted the Elite 4 Holiday Classic which featured some of the best programs in women’s college basketball including UConn, Notre Dame, UNC and Penn State.
“We are excited to announce Georgia, Marshall, Penn State and Tulsa as the four teams that will participate in the inaugural two-day WBCA Showcase,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “They — along with Jacksonville, Louisville, Mississippi State and South Florida, who will play in the Sunday doubleheader — ensure the event will provide an outstanding weekend of college women’s basketball at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
“We are proud to have built a powerful team with Boardwalk Sports, Walt Disney World Resort, the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, and the Orlando World Center Marriott. I am grateful to welcome the eight teams in this inaugural event and look forward to watching the upcoming games!”
“Women’s college basketball has a storied history, and the WBCA has put together an impressive field of high-caliber teams that will continue to propel the sport’s growing popularity,’’ said ESPN Wide World of Sports Vice President Adam Ball. “With our world-class facilities and guest service, this tournament is going to be yet another top-notch event at our sports complex that offers fans, coaches and players an experience they can’t get anywhere else.’’
Here is the schedule of games (last team listed is home team):
WBCA Showcase — Thursday, Nov. 21
Tulsa vs. Georgia, 5 p.m. ET
Marshall vs. Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET
WBCA Showcase — Saturday, Nov. 23
Tulsa vs. Marshall, 1 p.m. ET
Georgia vs. Penn State, 3:30 p.m. ET
WBCA Doubleheader — Sunday, Nov. 24
USF vs. Louisville, 1 p.m. ET
Jacksonville vs. Mississippi State, 3:30 p.m. ET
“Congratulations to our partners at ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orange and Osceola Counties, Boardwalk Sports, and the WBCA on the announcement of the participating teams for the 2024 WBCA Showcase in Central Florida,” said Jason Siegel, President & CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. “This tournament, featuring some of the top tier women’s NCAA Division I programs, is another in the long line of major events to be hosted at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. We look forward to welcoming the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and families to our community for what is sure to be an incredibly positive experience.”
Tickets for the WBCA Showcase are on sale now exclusively through Ticketmaster by clicking here. Tickets start at only $30 with upgraded seating options available. Group tickets will go on sale Sept. 3 with discounts available based on the size of the group. All tickets will be sold online via Ticketmaster and delivered digitally. Tickets will not be available to purchase onsite at the State Farm Field House box office on game days.
Broadcast information will be announced soon.
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. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with championship-level experiences, the complex has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. The 220-acre facility features a 9,500-seat stadium; a state-of-the-art indoor arena in addition to two field houses for competitive cheerleading, gymnastics, dance, basketball, volleyball, eSports and other indoor sports; plus 12 baseball/softball fields and 17 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey.An on-site professional production center also 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 upcoming events.
About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
# # #
