Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Women’s Basketball Invitational

ESPN Events Announces the Inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational at Dickies Arena on Sunday, December 14, 2025. Looking for group tickets? Email groupsales@dickiesarena.com about tickets for groups of 9 or more. ESPN Events announces the addition of a new owned-and-operated women’s basketball invitational – the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational, set for Sunday, Dec. 14. The first-ever game will feature a Big 12/SEC battle between Baylor and Texas at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The top 25 matchup will tip at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. “We are excited to launch this new event highlighting the very best in college basketball while aligning with key brands and initiatives, said Clint Overby, Vice President, ESPN Events. We are appreciative of Sprouts and their on-going support of women’s athletics and look forward to growing this event with them.” The Texas Longhorns are coming off a Final Four caliber season in 2024-25, where they clinched their first SEC regular season title en route to a 35-4 record overall. Baylor finished with a stellar 28-8 record in the ’24-’25 campaign, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears finished second in the Big 12 a season ago, with a 15-3 effort in league play. “Since launching in 2010, espnW has been building towards events like this,” said Susie Piotrkowski, Vice President, ESPN Women’s Sports Programming & espnW. “In collaboration with Sprouts Farmers Market, The espnW Invitational is a presentation of the games top athletes competing at the highest level – delivering Women’s Sports fans more of what they crave. The Sprouts Famers Market espnW Invitational reflects ESPN Events intentional investment in our Women’s Sports portfolio, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue serving Women’s Sports fans and the culture that defines them.” This event adds to Sprouts’ extensive portfolio within the ESPN and Disney brand as they are the title sponsor for the ESPN Events’ owned-and-operated gymnastics meet and volleyball invitational – the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad and Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party. Sprouts also serves as the Official Grocer of the Southeastern Conference. “At Sprouts, we are on a mission to empower female athletes both on and off the court, whether it’s fueling performance through nutrition or partnering with organizations like ESPN, which are giving these athletes a platform to showcase their talents on the court,” said Alisa Gmelich, Chief Marketing Officer at Sprouts Farmers Market. “We are proud to be one of the first grocery retailers to make a commitment to sponsor women’s collegiate athletics, and serving as the title sponsor of the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational presents the perfect opportunity to extend our mission.” Tickets for the Fort Worth event at Dickies Arena are set to go on-sale this fall. Fans can secure first access to the beat seats now by registering for the pre-sale at?www.espnWinvitational.com.? For the latest updates on the event, follow @espnWInvitational on X and Instagram. ESPN Events ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube pages.