Cancun, Q. Roo — The 13th edition of the Women’s Cancun Challenge will bring fans of college basketball together this Thanksgiving.
The event includes long-respected powers from major conferences and a mix of mid-major teams looking to flex their muscle Nov. 23-25.
The Cancun Challenge will be held at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
In the Riviera Division, it will be Indiana State, Marquette, Montana, Oklahoma State, South Dakota and Tennessee. The Mayan Division will feature Arizona State, Columbia, Green Bay and Mississippi State, which broke UConn’s 111-game winning streak in March and reached the NCAA championship game.
Matchups and schedules will be announced later this spring.
This will be the fourth visit to the Cancun Challenge for Arizona State (2005, 2007, 2013) and Montana (2008, 2010, 2014). Mississippi State (2005, 2007) will be on hand for the third time, and it’s the second trip for Green Bay (2012) and Marquette (2009). Six of the teams (Arizona State, Green Bay, Marquette, Mississippi State, South Dakota, Tennessee) had 20 or more victories in the 2016-17 season.
“We are thrilled to be able to showcase such a great group of teams at the Cancun Challenge,” said Renee Carlson, executive director of the event. “Returning teams and first-time teams alike will find a competitive experience that also promotes team bonding, recruiting opportunities, a Mayan cultural view, and a team/fan relationship like no other.”
The Cancun Challenge is one of the premier basketball events held each year and was rated as a top-five preseason tournament by Sports Illustrated in 2014. Teams stay and play at the Hard Rock, where the ballroom is converted into an arena.
Fans may 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.
For travel package information, contact Sarah Sullivan at 970-672-0533 or sarah@triplecrownsports.com or visit the website at www.cancunchallenge.net.
Based in Fort Collins, Colo., Triple Crown Sports has produced events in youth athletics and the college ranks for more than 30 years.
TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November.
