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Florida Among Teams Set For Major 2017 Tourney

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said Thursday that he expects 24 Nike-backed basketball teams to be in two tournaments in 2017 to celebrate Nike co-founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday.

Hollis told the Associated Press that 16 schools have agreed to play in the tournament and he's currently trying to find eight more teams to be involved in the three-game tournament format.

Hollis listed the following schools as already accepting the tournament invite: Michigan State, Florida, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State, UConn, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Stanford, Butler, Xavier, Gonzaga, and Portland.

All of the schools use Nike gear. Hollis said he is currently trying to find funding for the major tournament.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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