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Reports Point to Dubai Hosting Royal Palm Invitational in November 2026

Organizers remain unidentified, with financing and team compensation still unresolved.

Overview

  • Multiple power-conference programs are expected to be involved, according to reporting from CBS Sports and Jon Rothstein.
  • St. John's coach Rick Pitino said organizers approached him about participating, but the school declined.
  • Current reports do not identify who is staging or funding the tournament.
  • Payments to teams are believed to be likely in a model similar to the Players Era, though no terms have been confirmed.
  • A Middle East event of this scale would be unusual for college basketball and raises logistical questions, with no regular-season game played in Asia since 2015.