As the calendar flips forward toward the holidays, a hardwood tradition that spans the Western hemisphere from the deserts of Las Vegas to the tropical haven of Maui returns to our hearts and televisions. It also elevates college basketball betting interest.
The NCAA men's basketball tradition of exempt multiple-team events (or MTEs) is happening and will continue into Thanksgiving weekend. These early-season tournaments also happen during the final month of 2025, but the main action of "Feast Week" is upon us now.
RotoWire.com wondered how recent NCAA Tournament champs have fared in these early-season events. Below we list national champions for each year since 2000 and how these early tournaments helped prepare them for those title runs.
How Recent NCAA Champs Did in Midseason Tournaments
2025: Florida
- ESPN Events Invitational (Nov. 28-29): Beat Wake Forest 75-58, Beat Wichita State 88-51.
2024: UConn
- Empire Classic (Nov. 19-20): Beat Indiana 77-57, Beat No. 15 Texas 81-71.
2023: UConn
- Phil Knight Invitational (Nov. 24-27): Beat Oregon 83-59, Beat No. 18 Alabama 82-67, Beat Iowa State 71-53.
2022: Kansas
- ESPN Events Invitational (Nov. 25-28): Beat North Texas 71-59, Lost to Dayton 74-73, Beat Iona 96-83 (third-place game).
2021: Baylor
- No MTEs (COVID-19).
2020
- No NCAA Tournament (COVID-19).
2019: Virginia
- Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 21-23): Beat MTSU 74-52, Beat Dayton 66-59, Beat No. 25 Wisconsin 53-46.
2018: Villanova
- Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 22-24): Beat WKU 68-58, Beat Tennessee 85-76, Beat Northern Iowa 64-50.
2017: North Carolina
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 21-23): Beat Chaminade 104-61, Beat Oklahoma State 107-75, Beat No. 16 Wisconsin 71-56.
2016: Villanova
- NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 26-27): Beat Stanford 59-45, Beat Georgia Tech 69-52.
2015: Duke
- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (Nov. 21-22): Beat Temple 74-54, Beat Stanford 70-59.
2014: UConn
- 2K Sports Classic (Nov. 21-22): Beat Boston College 72-70, Beat Indiana 59-58.
2013: Louisville
- Battle 4 Atlantis (Nov. 22-24): Beat Northern Iowa 51-46, Beat No. 13 Missouri 84-61, Lost to No. 5 Duke 76-71.
2012: Kentucky
- Hall of Fame Tip Off (Nov. 19-20): Beat Penn State 85-47, Beat Old Dominion 62-52.
2011: UConn
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 22-24): Beat Wichita State 83-79, Beat No. 2 Michigan State 70-67, Beat No. 8 Kentucky 84-67.
2010: Duke
- NIT Tip-Off (Nov. 25-27): Beat Arizona State 64-53, Beat No. 13 UConn 68-59.
2009: North Carolina
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 24-26): Beat Chaminade 115-70, Beat Oregon 98-69. Beat No. 8 Notre Dame 102-87.
2008: Kansas
- No mid-season tournaments
2007: Florida
- Las Vegas Invitational (Nov. 24-25): Beat Western Kentucky 101-68, Lost to No. 12 Kansas 82-80 (OT).
2006: Florida
- 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (Nov. 17-18): Beat No. 19 Wake Forest 77-72, Beat No. 16 Syracuse 75-70.
2005: North Carolina
- Maui Invitational (Nov. 22-24): Beat BYU 86-50, Beat Tennessee 94-81, Beat Iowa 106-92.
2004: UConn
- Preseason NIT (Nov. 26-28): Lost to Georgia Tech 77-61, Beat Utah 76-44 (consolation game).
2003: Syracuse
- Coaches vs. Cancer Classic (Nov. 14): Lost to Memphis 70-63.
2002: Maryland
- Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic (Nov. 8-9): Lost to Arizona 71-67, Beat No. 16 Temple 82-74.
- BB&T Classic (Dec. 2-3): Beat Princeton 61-53, Beat UConn 77-65.
2001: Duke
- Preseason NIT (Nov. 22-24): Beat Texas 95-69, Beat Temple 63-61.
2000: Michigan State
- Puerto Rico Shootout (Nov. 25-27): Beat Providence 82-58, Beat South Carolina 59-56, Lost to No. 20 Texas 81-74.
Total midseason tournament record: 50-7 (.877)
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What We Can Learn From MTE Data
Based on the past 25 NCAA Tournament champs, it seems like it's a good idea to perform well in a tournament over the holidays, as 16 of the last 24 champs did just that before winning it all in March Madness.
That includes last year's national champions, the 
Florida Gators, who won the ESPN Events Invitational in late November.
All but one of those 16 teams played one early-season event. But the Maryland Terrapins were gluttons for punishment in their 2001-02 national championship season, as coach Gary Williams had his team play two MTEs in that campaign.
That year, the Terps lost to Arizona before rebounding against No. 16 Temple in the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic at Madison Square Garden over Thanksgiving week. Maryland then defeated Princeton and UConn to win the BB&T Classic in D.C. in early December.
As for this season, 
Maryland (4-1) has long odds to win the Big Ten regular-season title; bet365 lists the Terps at +8000 as of Nov. 21.
While the Terps were one of the seven NCAA champs this century to lose an MTE game, they salvaged some pride on the home turf the following month.
The same cannot be said of teams like Kansas in 2021-22, which lost to unranked Dayton in the ESPN Events Invitational, 74-73. Before that, the last eventual national champ to lose an MTE game was Louisville in 2012-2013. That year, Rick Pitino's Cardinals team (which later vacated its national title) fell to No. 5 Duke, 76-71, in the Battle 4 Atlantis final. That came on the heels of consecutive victories over Northern Iowa and No. 13 Missouri in the Bahamas-based event.
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Which NCAA Tournament Champs Fell in MTEs?
Other year-end NCAA champs that lost in an MTE were the 2006-07 Florida Gators, who fell in the Las Vegas Invitational to No. 12 Kansas in overtime, 82-80. And in the 2003-04 season, UConn was on the wrong end of a 71-67 score against Arizona in the Preseason NIT.
Syracuse lost to Memphis 70-63 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic during the 2002-03 campaign and, at the start of the span we studied, the 1999-2000 Michigan State Spartans ran afoul of No. 20 Texas losing the final of the Puerto Rico Shootout 81-74. All of that, of course, was well before legal, regulated college basketball betting sites were in vogue.
In the past quarter century, Baylor in 2020-21 did not play in an early-season tournament (because of COVID-19), nor did Kansas in 2007-08.
Where Will This Year's NCAA Title Favorites Play?
Oddsmakers from DraftKings Sportsbook have the 
Duke Blue Devils as the top NCAA Tournament champion favorite, at +950 odds.
They are followed by Houston (+1000), Purdue (+1100), UConn (+1200) and Arizona (+1500).
This year, the Blue Devils and Wildcats aren't competing in any "Feast Week" MTEs, though Duke faces No. 21 Arkansas in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic at Chicago's United Center on Thursday night. Arizona hosts Denver and Norfolk State in Tucson in the Wildcat Classic during Thanksgiving week.
Houston will be part of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas next week, with games against Syracuse (on Monday) and No. 20 Tennessee (on Tuesday). The event's championship and third place games are set for Wednesday. The Cougars should be college basketball odds favorites in all games.
At the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, No. 1-ranked Purdue defeated Memphis 80-71 on Thursday night. The Boilermakers face 15th-ranked Texas Tech tonight at 9:30 Eastern.
Finally, the UConn Huskies have no holiday tournaments this season, but they are playing in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9 against No. 10 Florida. UConn also faces a one-off showdown against No. 8 Illinois at MSG on Nov. 28 in the SentinelOne Showdown.
Regardless of where those teams (and the rest of Division I) are sent, each will look to bring home some hardware, potentially setting the stage for a March Madness run to remember. Check out our college basketball futures betting guide for more details.
