Gophers Women's Basketball Headed to Mexico for Holiday Tournament

Gophers women's basketball will be heading to Mexico for their holiday tournament in 2026. It was announced on Wednesday that they will be playing in the Cancun Challenge in the Rivera Tournament alongside Kansas, Miami (OH), Washington State, and two more teams to be announced.

Cancun Challenge Announces 2026 Field

Web Story: https://t.co/KeKgCTZfPO #cancunchallenge pic.twitter.com/uPcKhYFyxm
— Cancun Challenge (@CancunChallenge) June 17, 2026

The Gophers will play at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Riviera Maya, Mexico, from November 26 to November 28 during Thanksgiving weekend. They will play two games in the six-team Yucatan Tournament, according to the event's press release.

Breaking down the field

Minnesota faced Kansas in the nonconference last season at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won that matchup and eventually made a run to the semifinals of the WBIT in the postseason. Kansas should have the potential to compete for an at-large bid in the 2026-27 NCAA Tournament.

Miami (OH) was a 13-seed in last year's NCAA Tournament after winning the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament. It was just their second NCAA Tournament appearence in program history. The Redhawks continue to invest in athletics, so they could be a MAC contender again in 2026-27.

Washington State had a streak of three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2020 to 2023, but they struggled in their transition away from the old Pac-12 with a nine-win season last year. Ninth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge will now lead the Cougars into the new Pac-12 in 2026-27.

From a pure resume perspective, the Gophers could use two more power conference teams in the field. Washington State and Miami (OH) will likely be Quad 4 opportunities on a neutral floor, which does very little for Minnesota's resume.

It does mark the third and fourth nonconference games the Gophers have officially announced on their 2026 schedule. They will play Kansas State in Sioux Falls on Nov. 14 before the Cancun Challenge, and they will also host St. Thomas on Dec. 1.

Gophers 2026 nonconference schedule

Nov. 14: vs. Kansas State (Sanford Pentagon)
Nov. 26-28: Cancun Challenge
Nov. 26-28: Cancun Challenge
Dec. 1: vs. St Thomas

The Gophers hosted Marquette and played at Kansas last season, but there has been no indication about whether or not those games will feature a return matchup this year. After last year's Sweet 16 run, Minnesota had a productive offseason in the transfer portal, and there should be huge expectations heading into 2026-27. That all starts in the nonconference, and they're building a formidable schedule.

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