HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the $1 million winner-take-all competition, announced today that James Madison University will serve as one of the regional locations for the 2025 event, hosted at the Atlantic Union Bank Center. Founding Fathers, the James Madison alumni team, will host as the featured team in the eight-team James Madison Regional.

Founding Fathers will be led by recent Dukes standout Mark Freeman. Additional roster announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

The 2025 James Madison Regional will be played at the Atlantic Union Bank Center from July 18-23. The regional at James Madison will replace the one previously scheduled to play at the University of Virginia.

“James Madison University is excited to host the TBT James Madison Regional this July,” JMU Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. “As we strive to attract a variety of events to our campus venues, this tournament checked all the boxes to bring something unique to our community with familiar faces competing in our first-class venue. Additionally, the event carries revenue generation potential and increased exposure both for the university and for the valley. It’s a win-win opportunity for all involved.”

This summer marks the third time Founding Fathers has competed in TBT, previously playing in 2021 and 2022.

Mark Freeman will return to Atlantic Union Bank Center off the back of a career senior season. Freeman led James Madison’s 2024/25 squad in scoring with 15.8 points per game, earning First Team All-Sun Belt honors.

Founding Fathers will make additional roster announcements via their social media pages @foundingfatherstbt. Additional teams playing in the James Madison Regional will be announced at a later date.

The winner of the James Madison Regional will advance to the TBT Quarterfinals on July 29. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and the TBT $1 Million Championship will be played on Sun. Aug. 3.

Lexington, Louisville, Syracuse, Kansas City, Wichita, Charleston (West Virginia), and Indianapolis will serve as the other TBT 2025 regional locations.

Tickets for the TBT James Madison Regional are available at tbthoops.com/james-madison. Tickets for all eight TBT regionals are available at tbthoops.com/tickets.

For more information on this year’s TBT or the James Madison Regional, visit tbthoops.com.

ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
Founded in 2014, The Tournament specializes in hosting high-stakes, open-application sporting events distributed across the world. Its first property, The Basketball Tournament (TBT), has crowned eleven champions, awarded more than $13 million in prizes, and ushered in innovations such as the Elam Ending®. Launched in June 2023, The Soccer Tournament (TST) marked The Tournament’s expansion beyond basketball. For more information on The Tournament and its properties, visit TheTournament.com.

— JMU Athletics —