PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland Athletics will co-host and participate in one of college basketball's biggest events when the Phil Knight Invitational (PKI) and Phil Knight Legacy come to the Rose City over the 2022 Thanksgiving weekend. Born out of the success of the PK80 events five years ago, weekend will feature 24 total teams competing in four different brackets.
The Portland men's basketball team is featured in the PKI, hosted by ESPN Events, along with Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, UConn and Villanova. The four-team women's PKI event includes women's teams Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina and Oregon.
The Phil Knight Legacy, hosted by Rip City Management, will include women's teams Duke, Iowa, Oregon State and UConn, while the men's field includes Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier.
"We are incredibly thankful to our friends at ESPN Events, the Rose Quarter and Rip City Management, LLC, for including the University of Portland as a host site for the Phil Knight Legacy and Phil Knight Invitational," University of Portland Vice President for Athletics Scott Leykam said. "It is an honor for the University to play a role in honoring Phil Knight and the tremendous impact he has had on UP and all of collegiate athletics."
"We're proud to be hosting the Phil Knight Legacy in conjunction with ESPN Events' PKI," said Chris Oxley, Senior Vice President, Rose Quarter. "Having the best college basketball teams in the world gather in Portland to celebrate Phil Knight's continued legacy is a great opportunity for our city."
PKI and Phil Knight Legacy will be played during ESPN's Feast Week Thursday, November 24 – Sunday, November 27 across three venues including the Chiles Center at University of Portland, Rose Quarter's Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. ESPN will be the official broadcast partner of the PKI and Phil Knight Legacy and all 32 games will be televised on ESPN platforms.
"We are honored to bring together some of the best men's and women's college basketball teams in tribute to Phil Knight and his lasting impact on the sport," said Clint Overby, Vice President, ESPN Events. "The quality of both fields along with the multi-venue setup will make Portland the epicenter of college hoops this Thanksgiving weekend."
The men's teams in both the PKI and Phil Knight Legacy will play one game per day in the bracket-style format on November 24, 25 and 27. The women's teams will play one game per day in the bracket-style format, PKI women's teams will play on November 24 and 27 and the Phil Knight Legacy women's teams will play on November 25 and 27.
Brackets and the complete schedule of games will be announced this summer. Each participating program will be reserved a ticket allotment for the event. Portland season ticket holders will be given the first opportunity to purchase tickets to sessions for the Pilots. More ticket information will be available soon.
