North Carolina faces Michigan in the inaugural Jumpman Invitational

State of play: Four games will take place at Spectrum Center between Dec. 20-21, which Charlotte Sports Foundation and Jordan Brand signed a three-year deal for last summer, as Axios’ Katie Peralta Soloff reported. The invitational includes both the men’s and the women’s programs from each school.

Details: Each team will play one game, and all four games will air on ESPN networks.

Women’s schedule: 

• Dec. 20: North Carolina vs. Michigan 7pm
• Dec. 21: Oklahoma vs. Florida 9:30pm

Men’s schedule: 

• Dec. 20: Oklahoma vs. Florida 9:30pm
• Dec. 21: North Carolina vs. Michigan 7pm

Why it matters: It’s another sign Uptown is coming back to life. Plus CSF is known for putting on signature events that drive economic impact for Charlotte, like the Duke’s Mayo Classic over Labor Day Weekend and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl at the end of the year at Bank of America Stadium.

Context: All four schools have Jordan Brand partnerships for football and basketball.

Flashback: The North Carolina vs. Michigan matchup is giving us 1993 flashbacks. The Tar Heels beat the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament final nearly 30 years ago because of Chris Webber’s infamous timeout in the final seconds of the game, which the Wolverines didn’t have. It was a devastating blow for the Fab Five, and victory belonged to North Carolina.

Of note: Your ticket is good for all four games, and tickets will go on sale in late September. Plus you can sign up for presale information here.

What they’re saying: “With six of the eight teams competing in last year’s NCAA tournaments and their programs’
collective storied history we believe the Jumpman Invitational presented by Novant Health
will be a premier basketball event not just this year, but in years to come,” CSF executive director Danny
Morrison said in a statement.

Go deeper: How to get cheap tickets to games in Charlotte