The NCAA Tournament has finally expanded after years of debate. The debate has centered on one big issue: whether the expansion would make the tournament more inclusive for all teams, or just give the haves more spots at the expense of the have-nots. It will take a few years before we can conclude which side wins that debate. Judging by the discourse over the summer, the worry centers around the argument that the extra bids will be given to those middling high-major teams. Whatever side of the coin you find yourself on, the equation to earn an at-large bid if you are a mid-major program really doesn’t change. Teams must have an elite regular season, to the tune of 25-30 wins, and at the very least a trip to the semifinals or better in the conference tournament, and a signature non-conference win is also very helpful.

It is that last bullet point on the resume that is why the first two months of the season are so critical for mid-major teams. To that point, the early-season multi-team events are where they get their biggest chances at those signature wins that can help carry their resumes into March.

Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship

November 19-20, Nassau, Bahamas

We’ll start with the Baha Mar Hoops tournament, which takes place in the Bahamas on Nov. 19-20. The four-team tournament gives Murray State out of the Missouri Valley a chance at marquee wins. They open against NC State and are guaranteed a game against either Wisconsin or Seton Hall the next day. Early prognostications at Barttorvik and Evanmiya have the Racers on the heels of Illinois-Chicago for the top spot in the Valley.

The Racers went 20-13 under first-year head coach Ryan Miller and earned a trip to the NIT. They did lose a bunch of production to the portal, but Miller did bring in four transfers, including point guard Kaden Magwood from Auburn and Brigham Rogers from Belmont. They join Roman Domon, who looks like he could be Murray State’s next star after averaging 14 points and five rebounds, while shooting 37% from deep as a freshman. If the team’s summer European trip is any indication, the rest of the MVC might be in trouble. Murray State will be in a hotly contested battle in the MVC, but a win, or even two, in the Bahamas will put them on the national radar early.

Sunshine Slam

November 22 and 24, Daytona Beach, Florida

The Sunshine Slam happens Nov. 22 and 24 in Daytona Beach, FL. This isn’t a bracketed four-team event; instead, Wyoming and Duquesne will play two games, while Kent State and the team that deserves our attention here, High Point, each get one. The Panthers get to tangle with Duquesne on Nov. 24, and it will be the team’s fourth opportunity for a big win before Thanksgiving.

High Point faces Liberty on opening night in a battle between two of the country’s strongest mid-major programs. Less than a week later, they welcome Washington State to High Point, and then on Nov. 15 they travel to Saint Louis for another high-profile mid-major matchup with the Billikens.

Over the past three seasons, High Point has become one of the best mid-major programs in the country. Alan Huss took over the program for the 2023-24 season, and since then the Panthers have known nothing but Big South regular-season titles and have averaged 29 wins per season. Huss took the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2025, and after a 56-15 two-year run, he subsequently took a position back at Creighton. Last year, the team promoted Flynn Clayman to the head chair. All Clayman did in his first season was go 31-5, make the NCAA Tournament, and upset Wisconsin before giving Arkansas all they could handle in the second round. How High Point handles its business before Thanksgiving will likely dictate whether they are in any at-large conversation come March.

ESPN Events Invitational (Adventure Group)

November 23-25, Buena Vista, Florida

ESPN sponsors a few MTEs in Florida, but this season’s Adventure Group deserves some attention. In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, a six-team pod will get three games against each other. The six teams are: St. Bonaventure, Wright State, Yale, Akron, Belmont and App State. While these teams may not have enough on their resumes for at-large consideration by the end of the year, this three-day window could have big seeding implications because most, if not all, of these teams are or should be conference contenders.

St. Bonaventure is listed as the eighth-best team in a very strong Atlantic 10 that has five teams in the top 100. The Bonnies find themselves just outside that at 120. Wright State is the clear favorite of the Horizon League, coming off a tournament appearance and a 23- win season, with a team that returns the forward trio of Andrea Holden, Dominic Pangonis and Kellen Pickett. Akron sits just behind Miami (OH) in the Mid-American Conference, but we all know how things go in the MAC; those two are joined by Kent State and Toledo in some order for a glorious conference battle. Akron is always in the mix, and over the last five years the Zips have four NCAA Tournament appearances and at least 22 wins. Expect that to be the case again this year. Belmont came off a year when they won 26 games, winning the MVC going away but were upset in the conference tournament. Head coach Casey Alexander left for Kansas State, and former Bruin legend Evan Bradds takes over. The Bruins were decimated by graduation and the portal, losing eight players, but don’t expect them to be an easy out in The Valley after bringing in six transfers, including Ring Malith, who averaged 17 points and five rebounds for SIU-Edwardsville last season.

SoCal Basketball Invitational

December 21-23, San Juan Capistrano, California

The final event takes place closer to Christmas. The SoCal Basketball Invitational will take place in San Juan Capistrano, California, from Dec. 21-23. Boise State and Oregon State will each face off against New Mexico and Santa Clara, in what could be some key results by late February and Early March. The Beavers and Broncos both joined the Pac-12, and this event will serve as their last chance to put notches on their non-conference belts. The other two teams in this event, New Mexico and Santa Clara, have their eyes set on their respective conference titles. Short of that, both the Lobos and Broncos have schedules that are littered with big opportunities against strong mid-major programs. Tallying as many of those wins as possible, coupled with strong conference showings, puts them right in the at-large conversation.

It really doesn’t matter what format the Tournament takes on; the formula for good mid-major programs remains the same: winning as many attention-catching games as possible. Getting wins at these MTEs during the holiday season can deliver the biggest gifts of the season for some teams.