MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University Vice President of Athletics, Travis Whipple, announced today, in partnership with Visit Marshall, SMSU has been awarded the 2027 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Tip-Off Classic inside the R/A Facility on Oct. 29-31, 2027.
 
The D2 CCA has awarded nine D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic bids for the 2026-28 cycle. These exempt tournaments feature some of the best team in Division II and offer critical resume-building opportunities for participating teams come selection time in March and officially begin the college basketball season.
 
"It's an incredible honor to partner with the D2 CCA and host such a prestigious event," Whipple said. "We are thrilled to bring multiple conferences together that will feature top programs from across the country to Marshall. I'm proud of how our community continues to embrace sports at such a high level and is committed to an incredible game environment. Thank you to the selection committee, to our wonderful partners at Visit Marshall, and all involved. This will truly be an event you won't want to miss!"
 
The Tip-Off Classic will feature at least six teams, including SMSU, from three different conferences around the country. Each team will play a minimum of two games. The additional teams and complete game schedule will be announced once finalized.
 
"We are excited to partner with Southwest Minnesota State University and Visit Marshall to host this showcase of basketball," said D2 CCA External Relations Committee Chair and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner Anthony Holloman.