Field of 68 to launch college basketball season with 24-hour marathon

The Field of 68 Media Network is reviving the 24-hour marathon format to open the men’s college basketball season on November 2. The event features eight games played across nearly a full day, resurrecting a tradition similar to the ESPN marathon that ended in 2017.

The tournament will be hosted at two sites: Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The schedule begins with High Point and Liberty at 12:01 a.m. ET and concludes with Furman and Bethune-Cookman at 8 p.m. The 16 participating programs include several high-performing mid-major teams, with eleven of the participants having won at least 20 games last season.

Among the featured matchups is McNeese State against Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). McNeese State, a three-time defending Southland Conference champion, enters the season following a 28-6 record. The matchup holds personal significance for McNeese State head coach Bill Armstrong, who is an alumnus of UAB.