Rock Hill lands national spotlight with college hoops marathon
The 2025-26 college basketball season tips off in Rock Hill.
A national event, the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon will bring a tripleheader of Division I action to the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center on Nov. 3.
Queens University of Charlotte and Winthrop University headline the Rock Hill slate with a local rivalry clash at 8 a.m.
“I’ll probably have to have a couple cups of coffee that morning, maybe one the night before preparing for those guys,” Winthrop head coach Mark Prosser said in a release. “We’ve had great games up to this point the last couple of years. It’ll be a challenge whenever it is, and if it’s 8 o’clock on the first day, it will be 8 o’clock on the first day.”
Strong mid-major matchups come to Rock Hill
The event will run in tandem with a sister showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where three additional games make up the Field of 68’s six-game schedule.
Queens, entering its fourth season as a Division I school, is on the heels of a 20-win campaign that included a College Basketball Invitational postseason berth — but it hasn’t beaten Winthrop in either of the past two seasons.
“It’s an unbelievable way to represent a local rivalry,” Queens head coach Grant Leonard said. “I appreciate Coach (Mark) Prosser playing the game every year. The fact that we’re able to do it in this type of setting is great for both of our programs, so we’re really excited about it.”
Bradley, a perennial Missouri Valley Conference contender, will take on St. Bonaventure, whose head coach, Mark Schmidt, has been at the helm since 2007.
Furman, which earned a first-round NCAA Tournament upset as a No. 13 seed two years ago, faces a rising High Point program led by first-year head coach Flynn Clayman.
“For the health of college basketball, in November, you have to go and challenge yourself,” said Furman head coach Bob Richey, a Florence, South Carolina, native. “The more games like this, where great programs that have won at a high level get together, there’s no downside to it. To be here in Rock Hill, at this great facility, we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Tickets and schedule for college basketball in Rock Hill
- 8 a.m.: Queens vs. Winthrop
- 11 a.m.: Bradley vs. St. Bonaventure
- 6:30 p.m.: High Point vs. Furman
Tickets go on sale Sept. 5 via TicketReturn. The showcase will be broadcast on the Field of 68’s YouTube and X feeds.
