Stephen F. Austin men’s basketball will participate in the 2026 Paradise Jam tournament, according to an April 9 announcement from the university. The event is scheduled for November 20-23 and will take place in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The participation marks a notable moment for the Lumberjacks as it will be their first trip outside the continental United States since competing in the Cayman Island Classic in November of 2023. The team, led by second-year head coach Matt Braeuer, joins seven other NCAA Division I programs at this annual multi-team event.
In Braeuer’s first year as head coach, Stephen F. Austin became the first Southland Conference program to reach 20 league wins in a single season and secured its sixth regular season championship—the first since the 2019-20 season. The team finished as runner-up in the conference tournament and made its fourth appearance all-time at the National Invitation Tournament after last appearing nationally during the 2022 College Basketball Invitational.
The Paradise Jam provides teams with three guaranteed games each and aims to offer competitive matchups that help with early-season NET rankings by pairing mid- and high-major programs against one another without buy-game arrangements. All games are set to be streamed on ESPN+, providing wide visibility for fans and supporters.
Brackets and ticket packages for fans are expected to be announced later through official channels including www.basketballtravelers.com/fans and X @ParadiseJam.
