WASHINGTON, Pa. - The 2025 Great Lakes Invitational will head to Washington, Pennsylvania and Washington & Jefferson College's Salvitti Family Gymnasium. The tournament is scheduled to take place November 21-22, 2025. 
 
The Great Lakes Invitational is the creation of Ryan Whitnable.  The marquee two-day event will include nationally respected teams from the Great Lakes region as well as Division III teams from around the country. The list includes Carthage College (Wis.), Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), Marietta College (Ohio), University of Mary Washington (Va.), Maryville University (Tenn.), defending national champion Trine University (Ind.), Trinity University (Texas), Washington & Jefferson College.
 
"The 8^th Great Lakes Invitational continues the tradition of bringing together Division III's best programs to one of the level's best venues," stated Whitnable. "Hosting this event at the home of one of the Great Lakes' most successful programs is perfectly fitting of this crown jewel event of the Division III basketball calendar."
 
This marks the first time the Great Lakes Invitational will be hosted in Pennsylvania. W&J will be first Presidents' Athletic Conference GLI host as well.
 
"Washington & Jefferson is thrilled to host the 2025 Great Lakes Invitational at Salvitti Family Gymnasium," replied W&J Director of Athletics Scott McGuinness. "This tournament has developed into a marquee event for Division III men's basketball and the 2025 field brings teams who are annually Top 25 caliber programs here to western Pennsylvania.  At W&J, we feel our program has steadily risen in recent years and we look forward to competing with these quality men's basketball programs."
 
W&J head men's basketball coach Ethan Stewart-Smith commented on the honor to host the invite: "We are incredibly excited and grateful to be a part of one of the best events in all of Division III basketball. It will be an amazing experience to host such a prestigious group of programs, and we look forward to showcasing our campus for a great weekend of basketball."

The first four matchups are scheduled to take place on Friday, November 21 with the remaining four games set for Saturday, November 22.  Each team will square off in two contests throughout the weekend. A complete schedule along with ticket and broadcast information will be released this coming spring. 
 
Participating coaches chimed in regarding the Great Lakes Invitational: 
 
Steve Djurickovic, Carthage College Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We are very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Great Lakes Invitational. Ryan Whitnable has put together one of the premier small college basketball tournaments and we are excited for the opportunity to represent Carthage College against some of the best teams from across the country."
 
Todd McGuinness, Case Western Reserve University Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We are excited to take part in the 2025 Great Lakes Invitational. The event has emerged as one of the premier tournaments in Division III annually and attracts some of the best teams in the area. We are thrilled to be able to face the high level of competition and looking forward to taking part in what will surely be a first-class event hosted by Washington & Jefferson College."
 
Jon VanderWal, Marietta College Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We are thrilled to once again participate in the Great Lakes Invitational, which has become one of the premier small college basketball tournaments in the country. As the inaugural host and program that helped establish this event, we take great pride in being part of it whenever possible. The 2025 tournament at Washington & Jefferson will feature eight outstanding programs, each led by elite coaches, and we are truly honored to be included in such an esteemed field."
 
Marcus Kahn, University of Mary Washington Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We are excited to participate in this great event.  The Great Lakes Invitational has become one of the premier DIII tournaments in the country, and our program is looking forward to competing against the best on a big stage, such as this.  Ryan has done a terrific job of highlighting some of the top programs at our level and we are grateful to be a part of next year's event."
 
Raul Placeres, Maryville University Head Men's Basketball Coach
"It's a tremendous honor any time you get invited to the GLI. We were fortunate enough to play in this event two years ago at Wabash College. Everyone at our level watches the GLI. If you are a player and program at our level this is the tournament that you want to be in. We are looking forward to competing on the beautiful campus of Washington and Jefferson."
 
Brooks Miller, Trine University Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Great Lakes Invitational. It is a tremendous event that allows our players to showcase their talent and hard work on a national stage against some of the best programs in the country."
 
Jimmy Smith, Trinity (Texas) University Head Men's Basketball Coach
"The Great Lakes Invitational has quickly become one of the premier events in Division III basketball! We are thankful and excited for the opportunity that we have to be a part of this event. It will surely be a great weekend of basketball that will once again display the abundance of talented athletes that we have in Division III basketball."