Portland State welcomes 2024 Les Schwab Invitational to Viking Pavilion

The Pacific Northwest's premier holiday basketball invitational, drawing elite high school teams from across the nation, is returning to downtown Portland for its 28th iteration.

The Les Schwab Invitational (LSI) presented by Express Employment Professionals will be held Dec. 26-30, 2024, on the Park Blocks in Portland State University's Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center.

Viking Pavilion, on the PSU campus in southwest Portland, is an NCAA
caliber basketball facility and home to Portland State's DI Vikings basketball and volleyball teams.

More than 2,900 fans can be seated for each of the LSI's 32 games.

Hosting an elite national tournament is a unique opportunity for the recently renovated Viking Pavilion, giving teams from Oregon and southwest Washington the chance to face off against nationally favored programs in a modern, collegiate setting. Thanks to an exclusive arrangement with Prime Time Sports, PSU will be the host site for the Les Schwab Invitational through 2026.

"It's a particular honor that I get to welcome this tournament that will showcase some of the nation's best high school teams," Portland State University President Ann Cudd said at a press conference on Monday. "Viking Pavilion hosts our NCAA basketball and volleyball athletes and programs
and I can personally attest that this is a wonderful place to watch some great basketball."

The LSI's annual Mr. Hustle Award is named for late Portland State University standout athlete Deante Strickland. Strickland, who was killed in a 2019 tragedy, won the award as a player at Portland's Central Catholic High School and later played basketball at PSU. It's one of four individual awards given during the tournament.

Like many events hosted at Viking Pavilion, the tournament reinforces PSU's commitment to reactivating campus event spaces as community and cultural activities return downtown in the post-pandemic environment.
"Tournament organizer and CEO of Prime Time Sports John McCallum is an industry leader in sports promotion and marketing," said Chris Augeri, director of PSU Campus Events. "Our events team is excited to work with him on this tournament, which meshes well with Portland State's core values and helps drive Portland's economic, social and cultural resurgence."

The Viking Pavilion is easy to find. It's just off I-405 with several Portland transit options nearby and ample on-campus parking available during the tournament.

The 28th annual Les Schwab Invitational tournament promises to be a standout event for athletes, coaches and communities from around the nation. PSU is proud to welcome them to campus in December.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.