Mid‑major college basketball is set to get a rare spotlight as a 24‑hour marathon returns to the national stage, reviving a format that ESPN dropped in 2017.
Midnight Marathon Returns
The Field of 68, the grassroots collective that originally curated the event, announced that the marathon will kick off at midnight Eastern, featuring eight games spread across Rock Hill and Sioux Falls.
Opening the slate, High Point will host Liberty in a clash that pits the only mid‑major program to have advanced past the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament against a Liberty team that combined with High Point for a 57‑13 record last season.
The schedule is staggered, with Grambling taking on Northern Illinois at 3 a.m., UTEP versus Northern Kentucky at 2 p.m., and UAB facing McNeese State at 5:30 p.m., giving fans a nonstop cascade of contests.
Eleven of the sixteen participants posted at least twenty wins in the previous campaign, and five earned NCAA tournament berths, underscoring the depth of talent that will be on display.
High Point, Murray State, McNeese and Furman are being touted as the top four mid‑major programs heading into the new season, a ranking that reflects their recent on‑court success.
Top Programs and Fan Expectations
The marathon received an NCAA waiver to begin at midnight, marking the first full 24‑hour format in years, and analysts will rotate between the two venues, with Jeff Goodman, co‑founder of the event, among those providing play‑by‑play commentary.
Organizers say the revamped schedule is meant to answer fan criticism that top mid‑major teams are often paired with weaker opponents early in the season, aiming instead to pit comparable programs against each other.