NASSAU, Bahamas – Texas A&M will join four Division I men’s college basketball teams set to converge on the Baha Mar resort this summer to play exhibition games against international competition as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, veteran event promoter bdG Sports announced Thursday.
Texas A&M joins the previously announced Arkansas, Cincinnati, South Carolina and Valparaiso in this year’s Summer League with each playing international competition at Baha Mar. The Aggies will play three games on the tour – Sunday, Aug. 2 at 2 p.m., Monday, Aug. 3 at noon and Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m.
New NCAA rules allow college teams to take a foreign tour annually after the previous rule allowed such trips only once every four academic years. Kentucky-based bdG Sports operates the annual Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, now in its fifth year, along with 20 or more collegiate men’s and women’s basketball regular-season games at Baha Mar each November around the Thanksgiving holiday.
TICKETS, ROOMS AND VIP PACKAGES ON SALE NOW
The games serve as the first opportunity fans can catch their teams in action while also enjoying the amazing Baha Mar resort. Those interested in attending the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League can visit www.bahamarhoops.com/summerleague to purchase tickets, rooms and VIP packages. A valid passport is required to enter the Bahamas.
WONDER AWAITS AT THE BEAUTIFUL BAHA MAR RESORT
The remarkable Baha Mar resort serves as the backdrop to this basketball showcase. Anchored by Grand Hyatt and featuring SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar, the resort is situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau’s famous turquoise ocean waters. The destination resort boasts more than 2,300 rooms, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a $200 million luxury water park, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean’s first and only flagship ESPA Spa, a new jazz club, and a collection of more than 45 restaurants and lounges.
PREVIEWING ARKANSAS
Arkansas will play four exhibition games (July 31, Aug. 1, Aug. 3 and Aug. 4) during its seven-day stay at the resort.
John Calipari’s third squad in Fayetteville features the return of wing Billy Richmond III, who averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season. He will be joined by the nation’s top-rated freshman class that includes consensus National High School Player of the Year Jordan Smith Jr., wing JJ Andrews, wing Abdou Toure and forward Miikka Muurinen, along with Georgia transfer guard Jeremiah Wilkinson.
“We will have one of, if not the, youngest teams in the nation this coming season,” Calipari said. “With Billy (Richmond) being the only player back from our program with significant experience, we felt like we needed a trip like this to build chemistry on and off the court. Not only that, this will also be a great chance for our fans to experience a great destination like Baha Mar, while getting a first chance to see this year’s team in live action on the court.”
The Razorbacks finished 28-9 overall and 13-5 in the Southeastern Conference in 2025-26, winning the SEC Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Arkansas’ 28 victories tied for the third most since joining the SEC prior to the 1991-92 campaign.
PREVIEWING CINCINNATI
Cincinnati is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games at the Baha Mar resort (Aug. 2 and Aug. 4) during its six-day trip to the Bahamas.
The 2026-27 Bearcats welcome a Top 25 portal class with a roster boasting 12 newcomers in head coach Jerrod Calhoun’s first season at Cincinnati. The group makes up the most experienced roster in the Big 12, with incoming players averaging 56 career games played and more than 30 starts.
“I’m really excited about this trip to the Bahamas for our exhibition tour,” Calhoun said. “With 12 new players, it’ll be a great time for us to learn more about our team. The best part about these summer trips is that, with the transfer portal and so many moving parts, it’s really good to get these practices and competitive games under our belt. We can’t wait to get down there.”
PREVIEWING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina will play exhibition games on Aug. 8 and Aug. 10 during its five-day trip to the Bahamas.
Head coach Lamont Paris’ revamped roster currently features an experienced six-man transfer class of forward Aleksas Bieliauskas (Wisconsin), guard Shane Blakeney (Drexel), guard Davion Hannah (Alabama), forward Camden Heide (Texas), guard Kory Mincy (George Mason) and forward Jakub Nečas (Duquesne). Carolina recently added international big man Juan Fernández. The skilled, 6-11 forward from Santa Fe, Argentina, brings a wealth of international experience competing at the highest level. Talented consensus four-star guard Marcus Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio) is an incoming freshman who will bolster the backcourt depth on the 2026-27 Gamecock squad as well.
“We feel very fortunate and are immensely grateful for the opportunity our administration has given us to finish the summer off with a tour to play games in the Bahamas,” Paris said. “Roster turnover in men’s basketball has become increasingly prevalent and I believe the opportunity to have 10 full practices leading into playing in actual games against good competition goes a long way in accelerating the process of a group of new faces transitioning into a true ‘team.’ Baha Mar is an excellent venue. This event will undoubtedly provide a good basketball experience for our players, but most importantly, it will provide valuable time with one another during travel, down time, meals and extracurricular activities. We couldn’t be more excited!”
PREVIEWING TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M will play three exhibition games (Aug. 3-Aug. 5) as part of its five-day trip to the Baha Mar resort.
Bucky McMillan’s second roster with Texas A&M includes key returners in 6-foot-11 forward Zach Clemence (6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds) and forward Mackenzie Mgbako (10.4 points), along with notable transfer portal additions in Kansas State guard P.J. Haggerty (23.4 points), McNeese guard Tyshawn Archie (14.3 points) and Loyola Marymount forward Jalen Shelley (13.7 points). The Aggies also added former NBA G League guard Bryson Warren, who averaged 19.8 points and 5.0 assists last season with the Westchester Knicks.
“In this era of college athletics with increasing roster turnover, it is critical for programs to maximize opportunities to connect on and off the court,” McMillan said. “The Baha Mar Hoops Summer League is a tremendous offseason opportunity for programs to foster this cohesiveness. This event provides more practice time, game experience and off-the-court team activities that could not be done elsewhere. We are greatly looking forward to getting to the Bahamas in the August and participating in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League.”
McMillan guided Texas A&M to the NCAA Tournament in his first season with the program in 2025-26, posting a 22-11 overall mark and fourth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference. The Maroon and White ranked among the top-15 teams in the nation in scoring offense (86.1 points), assists (18.1), 3-pointers made (10.8) and bench points (35.6).
PREVIEWING VALPARAISO
Valparaiso will play exhibition games on Aug. 3-4 while in the Bahamas for six days.
“Our trip to Baha Mar will provide our team with the opportunity to gain valuable experience as we prepare for the upcoming season,” Valpo head coach Roger Powell Jr. said. “We look forward to getting on the court in game situations as we blend an exciting group of newcomers with our strong returning core. Our team will grow together on and off the court through this experience. We’re thankful to everyone who helped make this trip possible.”
The 2026-27 Valpo roster is headlined by returning sophomore forward JT Pettigrew, who claimed all-league honors and finished runner up in voting for Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds last season.
The Beacons continued their upward trajectory under Powell a year ago, finishing 18-15 overall and 11-9 in the league. It marked Valpo’s highest overall win total since 2019-20 and its highest league win percentage since joining The Valley (2017-18).
ABOUT BAHA MAR HOOPS
Each November around the Thanksgiving holiday, Baha Mar plays host to Baha Mar Hoops, one of the largest regular-season events in the sport of college basketball. Twenty or more NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams visit the stunning resort each year to compete in one of three basketball tournaments. In total, 20 games will be played over an 11-day span.
Each August, the resort also holds the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, offering NCAA teams exhibition games against international competition as part of a foreign tour. The resort has welcomed men’s basketball teams from Kentucky, Louisville, Nevada, Penn State, Rhode Island and Xavier for summer exhibition tours in recent years.
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