NC State Headed to 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship

According to reports, NC State’s Men’s Basketball team will participate in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship this November.

The Wolfpack will be joined by Wisconsin and Seton Hall.

A fourth team has not yet been announced.

NC State played Seton Hall in the Maui Invitational last year, falling to the Pirates 74-85.

Tournament Format

At this point, NC State’s first-round opponent remains unknown.

The event uses a four-team bracket format:

• Two semifinal games
• Winners advance to the championship game
• Losers meet in the third-place game

That guarantees each team two games during the event.

Potential Opportunity For Resume Wins

While the field isn’t complete, Wisconsin immediately stands out as a potential marquee opponent.

Neutral-site games against quality Power Conference competition often become valuable pieces of an NCAA Tournament résumé later in the season.

Once the fourth team is announced, the overall strength of the event will become much clearer.

Recent Tournament History

The Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship has quietly become one of the better early-season events on the college basketball calendar.

Last season’s field included:

Purdue
Texas Tech
Memphis
Wake Forest

Purdue defeated Texas Tech 86-56 in the championship game to capture the title.

Familiar Territory For Justin Gainey

This won’t be head coach Justin Gainey’s first trip to the event.

Gainey was on staff at Tennessee when the Volunteers won the tournament in 2024.

Now he’ll look to guide NC State to its own Bahamas championship.

Previous Tournament Champions

2025: Purdue
2024: Tennessee
2023: Miami
2022: UCF
2021: Louisville

The 2026 event will mark the sixth edition of the tournament.

Early Takeaway

For NC State, this is exactly the type of event you want on the schedule.

• Neutral floor.
• Quality competition.
• National exposure.

With Justin Gainey rebuilding the roster and putting his stamp on the program, the Bahamas will provide one of the first meaningful measuring sticks of the 2026-27 season.

Prior to the breaking of this news, NC State already had non-conference games scheduled with:

• Tennessee (neutral site)
• Ole Miss (neutral site)
• @ VCU

The Wolfpack’s 2026-27 current non-conference schedule already provides ample opportunity for Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins.