Tournament officials for the 12th annual Men's Basketball Cancun Challenge have announced the schedule of games for all eight teams, anchored by a superior group of Riviera Division teams including Northern Iowa, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wichita State. The event continues to attract some of the most skilled teams and their passionate fan bases to sunny Playa del Carmen; last year's champion was Bradley, and recent previous champions include Louisiana Tech (2017), Purdue (2016), Maryland (2015), Northern Iowa (2014) and Wisconsin (2013). The Riviera Division is anchored by a notable group of coaches who have excelled on the national stage: Bob Huggins, West Virginia – 856 career wins, .704 winning percentageBen Jacobson, Northern Iowa – 264 career wins, .615 winning percentageFrank Martin, South Carolina – 244 career wins, .608 winning percentageGregg Marshall, Wichita State – 493 career wins, .717 winning percentage "The quality of the Riviera field speaks to the appeal and drawing power of the Cancun Challenge, and there's a nice backstory as Bob Huggins and Frank Martin once worked together on the same coaching staff at Kansas State," said Men's Cancun Challenge director Sarah Sullivan. "Plus, two teams in the Mayan Division (Gardner-Webb and Northern Colorado) are on the doorstep of a 20-win season, so we look forward to the competitive energy of that group as well." Games are played in the modified ballroom at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya; teams and their fans are in walking distance from their rooms to the games to the restaurants to poolside. The Cancun Challenge also includes games played at host sites in the US. Here's the schedule for the 2019 Men's Cancun Challenge: US GAMES (Times TBD)Saturday, Nov. 16Northern Colorado at Northern IowaUT Martin at Wichita State Monday, Nov. 18Northern Colorado at West Virginia Tuesday, Nov. 19Boston University at South CarolinaUT Martin at Northern IowaGardner-Webb at Wichita State
Friday, Nov. 22Gardner-Webb at South CarolinaBoston University at West Virginia
MEXICO GAMES
Tuesday, Nov. 26
Mayan Division
UT Martin vs. Gardner-Webb, 12:30 p.m. ET (FloHoops)
Boston University vs. Northern Colorado, 3 p.m. ET (FloHoops)
Riviera Division
Wichita State vs. South Carolina, 6:00 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network) (KEYN Radio)
Northern Iowa vs. West Virginia, 8:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, Nov. 27
Mayan Division
Mayan Third Place Game, 12:30 p.m. ET (FloHoops)
Mayan Championship Game, 3 p.m. ET (FloHoops)
Riviera Division
Riviera Third Place Game, 6 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
Riviera Championship Game, 8:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
About the Cancun Challenge Seating is limited for this exclusive event, and all fans should book land travel packages through Triple Crown Sports for admission into games in Mexico. Travel packages are the only way to guarantee admission to games at this time. For travel package information, contact Sarah Sullivan at 970-672-0533 (email to sarah@triplecrownsports.com) or visit the website at www.cancunchallenge.net.
