FORT MYERS, Fla. – A standout collection of women’s college basketball programs and players will converge on Southwest Florida for the 14th-annual Coconut Hoops event Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29 at FGCU’s Alico Arena, veteran event promoter bdG Sports announced Tuesday.
Headlining the event will be a first-time matchup between event host FGCU and eight-time national champion, Tennessee, in the four-team, bracket-format Great Egret Division. The three-team, round-robin format Blue Heron Division features Oklahoma State All-American Audi Crooks, who was awarded Most Valuable Player honors in the 2025 Coconut Hoops event while playing for Iowa State.
“Fort Myers is THE premier destination during Thanksgiving week, and we’re excited to be part of an event that brings some of the best basketball in the country to our community,” FGCU head coach Raina Harmon said. “Coconut Hoops gives us the opportunity to play at home against premier Power 4 and high level, mid-major programs while giving our fans the chance to see that level of competition right here in Alico Arena. We’re excited for our players to have that experience and to be a part of what should be a great week of basketball in our community.”
Three teams participating in the 2026 Coconut Hoops event – Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Washington – advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
The complete field features Creighton (16-15, 11-9 Big East in 2025-26), Florida Gulf Coast (16-16, 11-7 Atlantic Sun), Houston (7-23, 1-17 Big 12), UMass (23-7, 15-3 Mid-American), Oklahoma State (24-10, 12-6 Big 12), Tennessee (16-14, 8-8 Southeastern) and Washington (22-11, 10-8 Big Ten).
The Blue Heron Division tips off the action each day at 1:30 p.m., with Oklahoma State taking on Washington (Nov. 27); UMass facing Oklahoma State (Nov. 28) and Washington battling UMass (Nov.29).
The Great Egret Division begins Nov. 27 with Houston taking on Creighton at 4 p.m., followed by FGCU battling Tennessee in the nightcap at 6:30 p.m. Play resumes on Nov. 29 with the consolation game tipping at 4 p.m. followed by the championship game at 6:30 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to our trip to the Fort Myers area and to competing for the first time in Coconut Hoops,” UT Head Coach Kim Caldwell said. “This multi-team event comes between a home game with UCLA and a road game at Virginia Tech, and it lines us up against some well-coached programs that have histories of success in their respective conferences. These competitive opportunities will test and prepare us for the conference schedule that lies ahead.”
Streaming details for the event will be announced later.
“I’m really looking forward to watching these programs compete in Fort Myers this November,” college basketball analyst and event contributor Debbie Antonelli said. “This event continues to grow the game of women’s college basketball and this strong field features some of the best brands in the game.”
Now in its 14th campaign, Coconut Hoops was launched in 2013 as the Gulf Coast Showcase. Past champions have included UConn, Stanford, Baylor, Texas, Notre Dame, Iowa and Michigan. The tournament has attracted the game’s elite such as A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Arike Ogunbowale and Angel Reese.
TICKET AND FAN TRAVEL INFORMATION
Fan travel information, including preferred hotel rates at the official tournament resort, and ticket information can be found at the official event website – www.coconuthoops.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. ET.
