FORT MYERS, Fla. - Abilene Christian women's basketball is one of eight teams selected to compete in the Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off, tournament owner and operator Intersport announced Wednesday. The Wildcats will play in two games across Nov. 28-29 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.
ACU is featured in the four-team Shell Division alongside Northwestern, Missouri and Bradley. The tournament field also includes the Island Division, consisting of Georgia, Kansas, Butler and Dayton. Teams will play two games against opponents within their respective divisions, with each game being televised nationally by ION.
"We are grateful and honored to be selected to participate in this invitational," head coach
Julie Goodenough said. "The competition will be fierce, but exactly what we were looking for in a Thanksgiving event."
Travel packages for the Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off go on sale on Wednesday, July 23 and include tickets to each game of either the Shell or Island division, lodging at a host hotel and parking at the arena. Ticket-only packages will be available in August.
The Wildcats are on the heels of their deepest postseason run in the program's 12-year Division I era after reaching the Women's National Invitation Tournament's Super 16 last season. ACU built a 22-13 record with a 9-7 mark in Western Athletic Conference play, good for its most victories, highest overall winning percentage and highest conference winning percentage since 2020.
ACU returns five of its top six scorers from the 2024-25 campaign, including All-WAC Second Team center
Meredith Mayes and 2023-24 WAC Freshman of the Year
Payton Hull. Mayes, Hull and
Emma Troxell each averaged over 11 points per game last season, while Mayes and Troxell each tallied over five rebounds per contest.
The Wildcats' complete 2025-26 schedule will be released at a later date.
