According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, the Marquette Golden Eagles will be part of the 2026 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Rothstein reported that Marquette will be joined by Virginia and Texas A&M, with a fourth team yet to be announced.
This year, the tournament will feature two separate four-team brackets instead of the traditional eight-team format. Rothstein noted that one bracket will include Marquette, Virginia, Texas A&M, and a mystery team, while the other bracket appears to be a mid-major grouping. However, Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway recently stated that his Tigers will be in the event alongside Wake Forest and Penn State, which could fill both brackets.
The change to two four-team brackets reduces the schedule from three days of four games to two days of four games, likely due to cost-cutting measures as the Players Era Festival expands and competes for teams during Feast Week.
Marquette holds a 1-3 all-time record against Virginia, with their last win in 1974. The Cavaliers, now in their second season under Ryan Odom, finished 30-6 last season and earned a No. 3 NCAA tournament seed. Virginia is projected as the No. 13 team nationally for 2027 by BartTorvik.com.
Against Texas A&M, Marquette is 1-1 all-time, winning the first meeting in 1982. The Aggies, under new coach Bucky McMillan, went 21-11 last season and won their first-round NCAA game before losing to Houston. They are projected as No. 44 in the country for next season.
The exact dates and television broadcast for the Battle 4 Atlantis remain unclear. Historically, the event takes place over Thanksgiving weekend, but ESPN’s new deal with the Players Era Festival may affect coverage.
Marquette now has six known games for the 2026-27 season, including matchups against Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri (in Chicago), and New Hampshire. The Golden Eagles are likely to add one more high-profile opponent, ideally at Fiserv Forum.