Phil Knight college

PORTLAND, Ore. - Nike's advertising and marketing helped boost the brands of several of the most popular modern males's college baseball capabilities, and now those schools want to give back to business founder Phil Knight.

Sixteen Nike-sponsored schools, including blue bloods Duke and vermont out from the ACC and perennial Big Ten energy Michigan State, will take part in a Thanksgiving week event Nov. 23, 24 and 26, 2017 in two Portland arenas - the Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The PK80, formally referred to as Phil Knight Invitational, will commemorate Nike co-founder and president Phil Knight. Knight will turn 80 on Feb. 24, 2018.

An idea hatched by Michigan State athletic manager Mark Hollis after which executed by ESPN Events, the function is two eight-team tournaments with two schools each from ACC (Duke and North Carolina), Big East (Georgetown and Butler), Big Ten (Michigan State and Ohio State), Big 12 (Texas and Oklahoma), SEC (Florida and Arkansas), Pac-12 (Oregon and Stanford), and WCC (Gonzaga and Portland) and something every from AAC (UConn) and Big Sky (Portland State).

There are various other high-profile Nike schools like Kentucky, Arizona and Villanova, however for explanations including just two schools per conference and scheduling disputes, some schools cannot get this event work. The Pac-12 schools were selected because those are the two establishments where Knight received degrees.

In two eight-team, three-game tournaments, groups from each league is put into various brackets. The list of teams in each of the two brackets and possible matchups will undoubtedly be circulated later on this autumn, in accordance with ESPN Events vice-president Clint Overby.

Each eight-team event will crown one champ. Both tournaments will take place in addition in the two arenas with all of the games televised from the ESPN sites.

Participating mentors issued statements praising Knight along with his relevance towards online game.

"Phil Knight was a visionary and an innovator for some time, " Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski stated. "PK80 is an original means we are able to honor him as well as the efforts he has made not just to your game of baseball, but to all the of recreation."

Michigan State advisor Tom Izzo, just who regularly has played in high-profile early-season events, stated the PK80 will likely to be at the height of difficulty, incorporating, "we have never ever been part of anything this phenomenal, both in terms of quantity and quality of the groups."