FORT MYERS, Fla. (WNCN) – Two of the biggest programs in the history of college basketball will face each other next year in another battle between a pair of blue bloods.
North Carolina and Michigan State will headline the 2025 Fort Myers Tip-Off, event organizers announced Thursday. It will be held at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, located on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.
The matchup, scheduled for Thanksgiving Day, marks the 18th meeting between the Tar Heels and the Spartans, including most recently in the 2024 NCAA Tournament last March. UNC came away victorious in that game, winning 85-69 to advance to the Sweet 16.
The last regular season meeting between these two successful programs took place on Nov. 26, 2017, when Michigan State won in dominating fashion in a 63-45 victory. However, UNC owns a 13-4 record in the overall series, which dates back decades.
North Carolina and Michigan State boast two of the most historic resumes in NCAA history. UNC has won six national championships, the third most among all active programs, while the Spartans have a pair of national titles of their own.
All-time, the Tar Heels have reached the Final Four on 21 occasions, the most in college basketball history, as well as qualified for the NCAA Tournament 53 times, which is the second highest. Meanwhile, Michigan State has 10 Final Four appearances and 37 NCAA Tournament berths under its belt.
Since launching in the 2018-19 season, the Fort Myers Tip-Off is steadily becoming one of the premier early-season tournaments on the college basketball calendar. The event has attracted numerous high-caliber NCAA Division I programs in recent years, such as Kansas, Gonzaga, Auburn, Marquette, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio State and Florida, among others.
This year’s field includes Michigan, Virginia Tech, South Carolina and Xavier.
Fan travel packages for the 2025 event will be available in February, but fans can click here to immediately register to express interest in a travel package and to receive priority access.