EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Each season, the Missouri Valley Conference mandates that each men's basketball team participate in an in-season tournament every year in order to boost the RPI of the league. This season, the University of Evansville is participating in the Ohio Classic while an official announcement for next season was made earlier today.

The Purple Aces will play in the 2014 Gulf Coast Showcase and is one of eight schools participating in a field that also includes East Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast, High Point, Green Bay, San Francisco, Fresno State and UNC Wilmington.

Taking place from Nov. 24-26, 2014, the tournament will be an 8-team field playing tournament style. All games will be played at Germain Arena in Naples, Fla. bd Global is putting on the tournament. bd Global, LLC is a representation, event management, and public relations firm operating on an international platform within the vast industry of sports marketing.

bdG manages multiplecollege basketball events in the United States each season, and previously has managed events across North America and the Caribbean, including college basketball events in Phoenix, Boston, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Dallas and Houston. bdG represents a number of major college basketball coaches including Indiana's Tom Crean, Western Kentucky's Ray Harper, UNC Wilmington's Buzz Peterson and Morehead State's Sean Woods. www.bdglobalsports.com.

"The 2014 field will be a very competitive field, top to bottom," said Brooks Downing, president of bd Global (www.bdglobalsports.com), the event organizer. "We are thrilled that FGCU, located just one mile north of the arena, will be a participant along with a number of teams who have a great history in college basketball as well as teams who have played frequently in the NCAA Tournament."