PORTLAND, Ore. – Stanford will face Florida in its first game of the prestigious PK80 men's basketball event in Portland over Thanksgiving week.
The Cardinal is one of 16 teams selected to play in PK80, a highly-anticipated event that honors the Nike co-founder and Stanford alumnus Phil Knight MBA '62 as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Stanford is joined in the elite 16-team field by Arkansas, Butler, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Portland, Portland State and Texas.
The event is separated into the "Motion" and "Victory" brackets that will each consist of eight teams and be played simultaneously in the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Games will be played Thursday, Nov. 23, Friday, Nov. 24 and Sunday, Nov. 26. All games from Portland will be televised on ESPN networks.
Stanford is in the Motion bracket, where it will meet the Gators in its opening game on Thanksgiving. Depending on Thursday's results, the Cardinal will face either Gonzaga or Ohio State on Friday. Duke, Butler, Texas and Portland State are also part of the Motion bracket. The final round of PK80 will be contested on Sunday, with a champion crowned in both the Motion and Victory brackets.
JUST ANNOUNCED! Stanford meets @GatorsMBK in opening game of @pkinvitational. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/IMpx2Ys3MX
— Stanford Men's Hoops (@StanfordMBB) May 31, 2017
"We are honored to be a part of this very exciting experience in Portland," said Stanford's Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball, Jerod Haase. "We look forward to celebrating the positive impact Phil Knight has had on the game and his connection to Stanford as an alumnus of the Knight Management Center and benefactor of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. This event is a great opportunity to showcase Stanford among the nation's elite programs."
To view the bracket, click here. PK80 was created on behalf of the schools and is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, in conjunction with the Rose Quarter.
Stanford is 4-0 all-time against Florida, with the teams most recently meeting in the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, on Nov. 27, 2002. The Cardinal defeated the No. 8 Gators, 69-65, in that contest. The other previously-played neutral site matchup came on Feb. 4, 1989 in Orlando, Florida, where the Cardinal posted an 84-69 win over the Gators. Stanford also recorded home wins over Florida on Dec. 21, 1990 (86-74) and on Dec. 23, 1974 (80-70).
Stanford is 3-0 all-time against Ohio State, with a 2-4 record in six all-time meetings with Gonzaga.
The 16 teams in the event have combined for 23 national championships, more than 85 Final Fours, more than 380 NCAA Championship appearances and more than 680 NCAA Championship wins. The prestigious field also includes nine of the past 13 NCAA Champions. Stanford is one of the 10 schools in the field to have won an NCAA title and one of 13 teams to have made at least one Final Four appearance.
A limited number of school-specific tickets are available to Stanford Season Ticket Members and Buck/Cardinal Club donors for $210/ticket. School-specific tickets guarantee admission to all three sessions in which Stanford plays between the Rose Quarter's Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Stanford Season Ticket Members should sign into their online ticketing accounts to purchase, or call (800)-STANFORD (Option 1) Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.
Men's Basketball Season Ticket Membership renewals begin June 5, the only opportunity for Season Ticket Members to guarantee their seats for the full men's home schedule, receive loyalty pricing (9-10% off the regular price), and enjoy a continually-growing list of other membership benefits. Visit gostanford.com/bbrenew to learn more about 2017-18 memberships.