June 14th, 2010
Texas State to play in Cancun Governor's Cup

STAFF REPORT

Texas State’s men’s basketball team will join seven teams that saw postseason action in 2010 at the Cancun Governor’s Cup to be played Dec. 22-24 at the Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico.

The other teams in the field are Appalachian State, Colorado State, East Tennessee State, Mississippi, Northeastern, Saint Louis and Southern Mississippi. East Tennessee State played in the NCAA Tournament, Mississippi advanced to the National Invitational Tournament’s (NIT) final four, and Northeastern also played in the NIT. Colorado State and St. Louis played in the College Basketball Invitational. Appalachian State and Southern Miss played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

“We are pleased to launch the Cancun Governor’s Cup with these eight teams,” said Clint Overby, senior director of events for ESPN Regional Television, which owns the tournament. “This event is a wonderful showcase for Cancun and we’re excited for the teams and their fans to be able to enjoy all that the area has to offer.”

The new tournament will feature 12 games through three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated will face off in a championship match. Conference USA will serve as the event’s sponsoring conference.

The Cancun Governor’s Cup supports youth basketball initiatives in Mexico started by the Telmex Foundation and Mexican NBA star Eduardo Najera. Since 2007, when the league was created, 60,000 kids from across Mexico have participated.

The Cancun Governor’s Cup will annually offer tickets to the league for kids to experience collegiate basketball firsthand.

In preparation for the 2010 Cancun Governor’s Cup, a single game was played last season at the Poliforum Benito Juarez, with Virginia Tech defeating Seton Hall, 103-94, in overtime before a crowd of 2,365.