Main Event (college basketball)

Formerly| MGM Grand Main Event (2014)
Men Who Speak Up Main Event (2015–2016)
MGM Resorts Main Event (2017–2019)
Men's Vegas Bubble (2020)
Roman Main Event (2021)
Sport| College Basketball
Founded| 2014
Ceased| 2023
Owner(s)| bdG Sports
No. of teams| 4
Country| United States
Venue(s)| Heavyweight Bracket
T-Mobile Arena (2017–present)
MGM Grand Garden Arena (2014–2016)
Middleweight Bracket
Ed W. Clark High School (2019)
Cox Pavilion (2018)
T-Mobile Arena (2017)
MGM Grand Garden Arena (2014–2016)
Last
champion(s)| San Diego State
Broadcaster(s)| ESPN (2021–2022)
ESPN2, ESPNU (2014–2019, 2021–present)
FloHoops (2020)
ESPN+ (2023–present)
Sponsor(s)| Continental Tire
Related
competitions| Ball Dawgs Classic
Official website| Continental Tire Main Event

The Continental Tire Main Event (formerly known as the MGM Grand Main Event, Men Who Speak Up Main Event, MGM Resorts Main Event, Roman Main Event, Men's Vegas Bubble[1]) was a four-team college basketball tournament held during Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week of the NCAA Division I men's basketball season, with the inaugural tournament beginning in 2014.

## Tournament format

[edit]

The tournament originally featured two four-team brackets (labeled Heavyweight and Middleweight) with each team playing two games in Las Vegas. Members of the Heavyweight bracket each host at least one member of the Middleweight bracket on campus before the tournament. Since the Middleweight bracket's dissolution in 2021, the tournament continues to find opponents for members of the formerly named Heavyweight bracket to host on campus that would have played in the Middleweight bracket.

While the Heavyweight bracket pool always features four teams, the Middleweight bracket pool's size is variable, ranging from as little as two teams to as many as five. Despite this, only up to four teams in the Middleweight bracket pool played in Las Vegas. Since 2021, two teams that would have played in the Middleweight bracket each play two Heavyweight opponents before facing each other on campus.

## Tournament champions

[edit]

Year | Team  | Bracket

|
|

2014  | Oklahoma State | Heavyweight
Round Robin – No Winner  | Middleweight
2015  | Creighton | Heavyweight
Howard | Middleweight
2016  | Valparaiso | Heavyweight
Round Robin – No Winner  | Middleweight
2017  | UNLV | Heavyweight
Prairie View A&M | Middleweight
2018  | Arizona State | Heavyweight
Utah Valley | Middleweight
2019  | Colorado | Heavyweight
Round Robin – No Winner  | Middleweight
2020  | Baylor | -
2021  | Arizona | −
2022  | Virginia | −
2023  | San Diego State | −

## Brackets

[edit]

* – Denotes overtime period

### 2023 – Continental Tire Main Event[2]

[edit]

| | | | | | | |
| First Round
November 17
ESPN+/ESPN2| | | Championship
November 19
ESPN2
| |
| Saint Mary's| 54
| | |
| San Diego State| 79| |
| | | San Diego State| 100*
| | |
| | | Washington| 97
| Washington| 74| |
| | |
| Xavier| 71| |
| | | Consolation
November 19
ESPN+

| Saint Mary's| 49
| Xavier| 66
| |

### 2022 – Continental Tire Main Event

[edit]

| | | | | | | |
| First Round
November 18
ESPN2/ESPNU| | | Championship
November 20
ESPN
| |
| 5| Baylor| 79
| | |
| 16| Virginia| 86| |
| | | 16| Virginia| 70
| | |
| | | 19| Illinois| 61
| 19| Illinois| 79| |
| | |
| 8| UCLA| 70| |
| | | Consolation
November 20
ESPN

| 5| Baylor| 80
| 8| UCLA| 75
| |

Campus-game contender(s): Norfolk State beat Monmouth 64–59.

### 2021 – Roman Main Event

[edit]

| | | | | | | |
| First Round
November 19
ESPNU/ESPN2| | | Championship
November 21
ESPN
| |
| | Arizona| 82*
| | |
|  | Wichita State| 78| |
| | |  | Arizona| 80
| | |
| | | 4| Michigan| 62
| 4| Michigan| 74| |
| | |
|  | UNLV| 61| |
| | | Consolation
November 21
ESPN2

|  | Wichita State| 74
|  | UNLV| 73
| |

Campus-game contender(s): North Dakota State beat Tarleton State 54–53.

### 2020 – Men's Vegas Bubble

[edit]

The event had a unique format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also adopted the temporary name "Men's Vegas Bubble" and aired on FloHoops. Despite including Baylor as the 2020 champion, no other records from this year are included in the tournament's history and records page.[3]

#### Schedule

[edit]

Date  | Time  | Winner  | Loser  | Score

|
|
|
|

November 28  | 1 p.m.  | Air Force | CSUN | 66–61
5 p.m.  | Baylor | Louisiana | 112–82
November 29  | 12 p.m.  | Seattle | Air Force  | 63–45
3 p.m.  | Baylor | Washington | 86–52
November 30  | 2 p.m.  | CSUN | Seattle  | 76–65
December 1  | 1 p.m.  | Cal Riverside | Washington  | 57–42
WINNERS ARE IN BOLD.
Game times in Pacific Time.

### 2019 – MGM Resorts Main Event

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| | | | | | | |
| First Round
November 24
ESPN3/ESPN2| | | Championship
November 26
ESPN2
| |
| 23| Colorado| 56
| | |
|  | Wyoming| 41| |
| | | 21| Colorado| 71
| | |
| | |  | Clemson| 67
|  | Clemson| 62*| |
| | |
|  | TCU| 60| |
| | | Consolation
November 26
FloSports

|  | Wyoming| 47
|  | TCU| 64
| |

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

| Detroit Mercy  | UC Irvine  | Louisiana

|
|
|

Detroit Mercy | —  | 86–74  | 62–81
UC Irvine | 74–86  | —  | 92–67
Louisiana | 81–62  | 67–92  | —

### 2018 – MGM Resorts Main Event

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 19
ESPNU/ESPN3 | | | Championship
November 21
ESPNU |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|  | Arizona State | 72 | |
| 15 | Mississippi State | 67 |
| |  | Arizona State | 87 |
|  |
| | |  | Utah State | 82 |
|  | Saint Mary's | 63 |
|  | Utah State | 80 | | | Consolation
November 21
BD Global
| | 15 | Mississippi State | 61
| |  | Saint Mary's | 57

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 19 | | | Championship
November 21 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|  | Utah Valley | 72 | |
|  | Hartford | 65 |
| |  | Utah Valley | 87 |
|  |
| | |  | Long Beach State | 72 |
|  | Iona | 85 |
|  | Long Beach State | 86 | | | Consolation
November 21
| |  | Hartford | 75
| |  | Iona | 80

Campus-game contender(s): McNeese State (Iona did not play any campus games.)

### 2017 – MGM Resorts Main Event[4]

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 20
AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain
AT&T Sportsnet | | | Championship
November 22
ESPN2 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|  | UNLV | 95 | |
|  | Rice | 68 |
| |  | UNLV | 85 |
|  |
| | |  | Utah | 58 |
|  | Utah | 83 |
|  | Ole Miss | 74 | | | Consolation
November 22
ESPNU
| |  | Rice | 62
| |  | Ole Miss | 79

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 20
Flohoops.com | | | Championship
November 22
Flohoops.com |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|  | Prairie View A&M | 80 | |
|  | Eastern Kentucky | 70 |
| |  | Prairie View A&M | 71 |
|  |
| | |  | Georgia State | 56 |
|  | Georgia State | 68 |
|  | Eastern Washington | 50 | | | Consolation
November 22
Flohoops.com
| |  | Eastern Kentucky | 62
| |  | Eastern Washington | 83

### 2016 – Men Who Speak Up Main Event[5]

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 21
YouTube | | | Championship
November 23
ESPN2 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Saint Louis | 62 | |
| BYU | 92 |
| | BYU | 89 |
|  |
| | | Valparaiso | 92 |
| Alabama | 60 |
| Valparaiso | 68 | | | Consolation
November 23
YouTube
| | Saint Louis | 57
| | Alabama | 62

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

| Ball State  | Coppin State  | Coastal Carolina  | Southern Utah

|
|
|
|

Ball State | —  | 79–77  | —  | 94–83
Coppin State | 77–79  | —  | 59–89  | —
Coastal Carolina | —  | 89-59 | —  | 83–68
Southern Utah | 94–83  | —  | 68–83  | —

### 2015 – Men Who Speak Up Main Event[6]

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 23
YouTube | | | Championship
November 25
ESPN2 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Clemson | 65 | |
| UMass | 82 |
| | UMass | 76 |
|  |
| | | Creighton | 97 |
| Creighton | 85 |
| Rutgers | 75 | | | Consolation
November 25
ESPN2
| | Clemson | 76
| | Rutgers | 58

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 23 | | | Championship
November 25 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| UTSA | 84 | |
| Central Arkansas | 98 |
| | Central Arkansas | 54 |
|  |
| | | Howard | 73 |
| Texas Southern | 81 |
| Howard | 87 | | | Consolation
November 25
| | UTSA | 80
| | Texas Southern | 91

### 2014 – MGM Grand Main Event[7]

[edit]

#### Heavyweight Bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 24
ESPN3/ESPNU | | | Championship
November 26
ESPN2 |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
|  | Oregon State | 53 | |
|  | Oklahoma State | 66 |
| |  | Oklahoma State | 73 |
|  |
| | |  | Tulsa | 58 |
|  | Auburn | 35 |
|  | Tulsa | 53 | | | Consolation
November 26
ESPN3
| |  | Oregon State | 69
| |  | Auburn | 71

#### Middleweight Bracket

[edit]

On October 6, 2014, the Middleweight Bracket was revised to a round-robin format.[8]

| Milwaukee  | Louisiana–Lafayette  | Oral Roberts

|
|
|

Milwaukee | —  | 56–52  | 66–69
Louisiana–Lafayette | 52–56  | —  | 76–52
Oral Roberts | 69–66  | 52–76  | —

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Men's Vegas Bubble".
2. ^ "San Diego State, Xavier, Washington & Saint Mary's headed to Vegas for Continental Tire Main Event". continentaltiremainevent.com. June 24, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023.
3. ^ "HISTORY & RECORDS". Archived from the original on August 11, 2022.
4. ^ "2017 Main Event schedule & brackets announced". bdGlobal. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
5. ^ "2016 Main Event schedule & brackets announced". bdGlobal. August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.[dead link]
6. ^ "2015 Main Event schedule & brackets announced". bdGlobal. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
7. ^ "bd Global announces 2014 MGM Grand Showcase & Main Event". bd global. July 23, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
8. ^ "Revised Middleweight Bracket schedule announced". mgm.bdglobalsports.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Event's Official Website
* Event's Official Twitter Account

* v
* t
* e

NCAA men's college basketball tournaments

Division I|

| Early season|

* Acrisure Classic
* Acrisure Holiday Invitational
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* Arizona Tip-Off
* Bahamas Championship
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* Nassau Championship
* NIT Season Tip-Off
* Paradise Jam
* Phil Knight Invitational
* Players Era Festival
* Rady Children's Invitational
* Sunshine Slam
* Vegas Showdown

|

Defunct
Early season|

* All-College Basketball Classic
* Asheville Championship
* Belfast Classic
* Coaches vs. Cancer Classic
* Continental Tire Main Event
* Corpus Christi Coastal Classic
* Crossover Classic
* DirecTV Classic
* Great Alaska Shootout
* Global Sports Classic
* Jamaica Classic
* Las Vegas Classic
* Las Vegas Invitational
* Northern Classic
* Puerto Rico Tip-Off
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* SoCal Challenge
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* Vancouver Showcase

Conference
postseason|

* ACC
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* Pac-12 (on hiatus until 2027)
* Patriot
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* SWAC
* Sun Belt
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* West Coast

Defunct
Conference
postseason|

* American South
* American West
* Big Eight
* East Coast
* Great Midwest
* Great West
* Metro
* Southwest

Postseason|

* NCAA Division I Tournament
* National Invitation Tournament
* College Basketball Invitational
* CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament
* College Basketball Crown

Defunct
Postseason|

* The Basketball Classic
* Vegas 16
* National Commissioners Invitational Tournament
* National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament

Division II|

| Conference
postseason|

* CCAA
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|

Defunct
Conference
postseason|

* Heartland

Postseason|

* NCAA Division II Tournament

Division III|

| Conference
postseason|

* Allegheny Mountain
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* Atlantic East
* C2C
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* Midwest
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* Northwest
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* Presidents'
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* SCIAC
* SLIAC
* Skyline
* SCAC
* SUNYAC
* United East
* Upper Midwest
* USA South
* Wisconsin

|

Defunct
Conference
postseason|

* ACAA
* Colonial States
* NECC

Postseason|

* NCAA Division III Tournament
* ECAC Tournaments

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