CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Men’s Basketball’s schedule for the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational was announced Tuesday as the 49ers will face off with Illinois State at 1:30 p.m. in the Imagination Bracket to start their run at the 19th annual Thanksgiving week tournament at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Tickets to catch the action live at the State Farm Field House are now on sale with the bracket’s release. Season Tickets are also on sale for Charlotte’s packed slate at Halton Arena.
The 49ers will meet Illinois State for the first time since Dec. 28, 1989, and just the second time in program history. The original meeting came as part of the Far West Classic in Portland, Oregon.
The latest bout will be each team’s first chance to play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
It will come after Richmond faces off with Furman to tip off the Imagination Bracket on ESPN2 at 11 a.m. Winners from Thanksgiving’s action will play the following day at 3 p.m. in the championship game on ESPN2 after the third-place game begins the day’s action at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
We’re excited for the chance to play a high-level team like Illinois State that won the CBI last season, Head Coach Aaron Fearne said. You have two great teams on the other side of the bracket, too, so it’s a great opportunity for us to be challenged and grow as a team before a tough conference schedule.