Battle At The Beach: A New High-Profile College Basketball MTE Is Coming To Long Beach In November 2025
4/18/2024 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Created by the 44 Group in partnership with Long Beach State Athletics, the early season men’s basketball tournament will deliver several days of college hoops action at the Walter Pyramid, attracting scores of fans from around the country.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The inaugural Battle At The Beach was announced today, a premier college basketball experience featuring a range of events for athletes and fans, all hosted in Long Beach, Calif. Staged on the serene campus of Long Beach State, the tournament will launch in November 2025 and feature a mix of Division-I teams from Power 5 conferences and mid-major schools, including Long Beach State's very own men's basketball team.
Games will be played on three consecutive days during the early-season Thanksgiving tournament window, tipping-off Wednesday, November 19, 2025, and concluding Friday, November 21. All games will be nationally televised. Major media partners will be announced soon.
The organizers, 44 Group, are a team of accomplished former coaches and current sports executives, founded by Jason Tilton, a Southern California native who brings 15-plus years of coaching and operations experience in college basketball and the NBA. He spent two seasons in the Director of Operations role for the men's basketball program at Long Beach State. In looking to organize an MTE tournament, Tilton said Long Beach and the Walter Pyramid were an optimal fit.
"While coaching in an MTE on the east coast years ago alongside [Purdue legend and Hall of Fame coach] Gene Keady, we talked about bringing a concept of our own to the Los Angeles area. As we looked at venue options, it occurred to us that the Walter Pyramid was the perfect arena due to its facilities, iconic structure, seating capacity, and location within Southern California," said Tilton. "Long Beach is an often-overlooked gem – the culture is unlike anything I've seen in all of my travels… Beautiful, diverse people, home to scores of famous music groups, athletes, and celebrities, world famous beaches, picturesque palm trees, and a Pyramid! The food and nightlife from the Entertainment District in Downtown to Second Street in Belmont Shore offer something for everyone. And the homes and boats along the canals of Naples offer a stateside version of something you would travel across the world to experience in a coastal European country."
The annual Battle At The Beach is a collaboration between the 44 Group, the City of Long Beach and Meet Long Beach, and Long Beach State Athletics. The combined entities share a vision to build a year-over-year signature Long Beach sporting event – an MTE that will serve as one of the top college basketball early-season tournaments.
Long Beach State's athletic director, Bobby Smitheran, expressed his enthusiasm, stating "The Battle At The Beach is an exciting opportunity to celebrate college basketball while highlighting the City of Long Beach through the experiences visiting institutions and fans can have in our tremendous community. Our men's basketball program will be able to compete on a national stage against teams from across the country which enables us to expand our Beach Basketball brand and bring attention to our vibrant campus at Long Beach State University."
Nestled in the footprint of Los Angeles, bordering Orange County, Long Beach touts famous tourist attractions such as the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific. The city is also a short drive from Disneyland, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.
"This event is a natural fit for Long Beach, which has a long history of not only producing elite basketball talent but hosting it as well," said Steve Goodling, President and CEO of Visit Long Beach and Meet Long Beach. "Whether it's been the NCAA Tournament at the Long Beach Arena or Kobe Bryant's first professional game at the Walter Pyramid itself, Long Beach has long been recognized as a basketball mecca. By attracting some of the best collegiate basketball teams and talent, Batte At The Beach is a terrific continuation of that legacy."
The 44 Group will continue to share news and updates about the event, activities, media partnerships, and participating teams.
To learn more about the Battle at The Beach go to: www.44grp.com
For media inquiries: lbc@44grp.com
Games will be played on three consecutive days during the early-season Thanksgiving tournament window, tipping-off Wednesday, November 19, 2025, and concluding Friday, November 21. All games will be nationally televised. Major media partners will be announced soon.
The organizers, 44 Group, are a team of accomplished former coaches and current sports executives, founded by Jason Tilton, a Southern California native who brings 15-plus years of coaching and operations experience in college basketball and the NBA. He spent two seasons in the Director of Operations role for the men's basketball program at Long Beach State. In looking to organize an MTE tournament, Tilton said Long Beach and the Walter Pyramid were an optimal fit.
"While coaching in an MTE on the east coast years ago alongside [Purdue legend and Hall of Fame coach] Gene Keady, we talked about bringing a concept of our own to the Los Angeles area. As we looked at venue options, it occurred to us that the Walter Pyramid was the perfect arena due to its facilities, iconic structure, seating capacity, and location within Southern California," said Tilton. "Long Beach is an often-overlooked gem – the culture is unlike anything I've seen in all of my travels… Beautiful, diverse people, home to scores of famous music groups, athletes, and celebrities, world famous beaches, picturesque palm trees, and a Pyramid! The food and nightlife from the Entertainment District in Downtown to Second Street in Belmont Shore offer something for everyone. And the homes and boats along the canals of Naples offer a stateside version of something you would travel across the world to experience in a coastal European country."
The annual Battle At The Beach is a collaboration between the 44 Group, the City of Long Beach and Meet Long Beach, and Long Beach State Athletics. The combined entities share a vision to build a year-over-year signature Long Beach sporting event – an MTE that will serve as one of the top college basketball early-season tournaments.
Long Beach State's athletic director, Bobby Smitheran, expressed his enthusiasm, stating "The Battle At The Beach is an exciting opportunity to celebrate college basketball while highlighting the City of Long Beach through the experiences visiting institutions and fans can have in our tremendous community. Our men's basketball program will be able to compete on a national stage against teams from across the country which enables us to expand our Beach Basketball brand and bring attention to our vibrant campus at Long Beach State University."
Nestled in the footprint of Los Angeles, bordering Orange County, Long Beach touts famous tourist attractions such as the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific. The city is also a short drive from Disneyland, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.
"This event is a natural fit for Long Beach, which has a long history of not only producing elite basketball talent but hosting it as well," said Steve Goodling, President and CEO of Visit Long Beach and Meet Long Beach. "Whether it's been the NCAA Tournament at the Long Beach Arena or Kobe Bryant's first professional game at the Walter Pyramid itself, Long Beach has long been recognized as a basketball mecca. By attracting some of the best collegiate basketball teams and talent, Batte At The Beach is a terrific continuation of that legacy."
The 44 Group will continue to share news and updates about the event, activities, media partnerships, and participating teams.
To learn more about the Battle at The Beach go to: www.44grp.com
For media inquiries: lbc@44grp.com
