Liberty & High Point to Tip Off Field of 68 24-Hour Opening Day Marathon
8/12/2026 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty and High Point will get the 2026-27 college basketball season started as a part of the Field of 68 Media Network 24-Hour Opening Day Marathon.
The Flames and Panthers will begin the eight-game, all-day event featuring some of the best mid-major programs college basketball has to offer. Liberty and High Point's Field of 68 Showcase event, set for Nov. 2 at midnight Eastern, was originally announced back on April 9. The game will be held at the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S.C.
The game will be the first official contest of the college basketball season (in the United States) and the first midnight tip since ESPN's Nov. 15, 2016 tipoff.
The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon was announced this week and begins in Rock Hill, S.C. on Nov. 2, with the first four contests being held in the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center. Here is a list of those four matchups:
Liberty vs. High Point, 12 a.m. ET
Grambling vs. Northern Illinois, 3 a.m. ET
Appalachian State vs. Merrimack, 6 a.m. ET
Queens vs. Winthrop, 9 a.m. ET
The next two games will be played in Sioux Falls, S.D.:
Murray State vs. Tennessee State, 11:30 a.m. ET
UTEP vs. Northern Kentucky, 2 p.m. ET
The final two games will be held back in Rock Hill, S.C.:
UAB vs. McNeese, 5:30 p.m. ET
Furman vs. Bethune-Cookman, 8 p.m. ET
Five teams participating in the event reached last year's NCAA Tournament. Of the 16 teams in the event, 11 won more than 20 games last season. Liberty won 26 games last year and claimed the CUSA outright regular season title for a second straight year. In total, 14 conferences are represented in the event.
All games will be carried live on the Field of 68 YouTube channel and X account. Tickets are currently on sale for the games in Rock Hill, S.C., including the Liberty contest, at VisitYorkCounty.com. Tickets are on sale for the Sioux Falls, S.D. games at ticketmaster.com.
"It is an honor to be in a position to bring back this event and to be able to platform some of the elite programs in the country that exist outside the sport's traditional power structure. This is a great opportunity for us to be able to provide more coverage for these teams that frankly don't get enough, and we don't take that responsibility lightly."
Rob Dauster, Field of 68 Media Network Co-Founder
"Visit York County is proud to welcome the Opening Day Marathon back to Rock Hill for a second consecutive year. The success of last year's event created the opportunity to expand this year's field from six teams to twelve, allowing us to generate an even greater economic impact for our community while showcasing York County as a premier destination for collegiate sporting events. We're especially excited that this year's marathon will feature a nationally streamed midnight tipoff, creating a unique experience for fans across the country. This event is a testament to what can be accomplished through strong partnerships, and we're grateful to work alongside Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Discover South Carolina and the Field of 68 Media Network to continue elevating Rock Hill and York County on the national stage."
Andy Clinton, President and CEO of Visit York County
The Flames and Panthers will begin the eight-game, all-day event featuring some of the best mid-major programs college basketball has to offer. Liberty and High Point's Field of 68 Showcase event, set for Nov. 2 at midnight Eastern, was originally announced back on April 9. The game will be held at the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S.C.
The game will be the first official contest of the college basketball season (in the United States) and the first midnight tip since ESPN's Nov. 15, 2016 tipoff.
The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon was announced this week and begins in Rock Hill, S.C. on Nov. 2, with the first four contests being held in the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center. Here is a list of those four matchups:
Liberty vs. High Point, 12 a.m. ET
Grambling vs. Northern Illinois, 3 a.m. ET
Appalachian State vs. Merrimack, 6 a.m. ET
Queens vs. Winthrop, 9 a.m. ET
The next two games will be played in Sioux Falls, S.D.:
Murray State vs. Tennessee State, 11:30 a.m. ET
UTEP vs. Northern Kentucky, 2 p.m. ET
The final two games will be held back in Rock Hill, S.C.:
UAB vs. McNeese, 5:30 p.m. ET
Furman vs. Bethune-Cookman, 8 p.m. ET
Five teams participating in the event reached last year's NCAA Tournament. Of the 16 teams in the event, 11 won more than 20 games last season. Liberty won 26 games last year and claimed the CUSA outright regular season title for a second straight year. In total, 14 conferences are represented in the event.
All games will be carried live on the Field of 68 YouTube channel and X account. Tickets are currently on sale for the games in Rock Hill, S.C., including the Liberty contest, at VisitYorkCounty.com. Tickets are on sale for the Sioux Falls, S.D. games at ticketmaster.com.
"It is an honor to be in a position to bring back this event and to be able to platform some of the elite programs in the country that exist outside the sport's traditional power structure. This is a great opportunity for us to be able to provide more coverage for these teams that frankly don't get enough, and we don't take that responsibility lightly."
Rob Dauster, Field of 68 Media Network Co-Founder
"Visit York County is proud to welcome the Opening Day Marathon back to Rock Hill for a second consecutive year. The success of last year's event created the opportunity to expand this year's field from six teams to twelve, allowing us to generate an even greater economic impact for our community while showcasing York County as a premier destination for collegiate sporting events. We're especially excited that this year's marathon will feature a nationally streamed midnight tipoff, creating a unique experience for fans across the country. This event is a testament to what can be accomplished through strong partnerships, and we're grateful to work alongside Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Discover South Carolina and the Field of 68 Media Network to continue elevating Rock Hill and York County on the national stage."
Andy Clinton, President and CEO of Visit York County
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