This will be the 1st season for the Bidwell Bash Invitational (named after General John Bidwell, the founder of Chico, CA, and Chico State University (also known as CSU, Chico). The tournament will be a 6-team round robin that will be played in weeks 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the non conference schedule.  CSU, Chico is the tournament's host.  In future seasons, the defending champ from the previous year will get an automatic bid to the next tournament (to be clear, this will be on a 1 season delay, so the season 67 winner will get an automatic bid to the season 69 tourney, as the season 68 tourney will already be scheduled by the time the season 67 tourney is played).  The remaining 4 teams in the field is invitation only based on alblack's dynasty rankings (since he doesn't have a team in the Allen world, he doesn't do dynasty rankings here, but I have his formula and will be keeping and publishing the list).

IF YOU ARE AT OR CLOSE TO THE TOP OF THE DYANSTY RANKINGS AND ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYING IN THIS TOURNAMENT, KEEP NON CONFERENCE GAMES 5-9 OPEN UNTIL THIS TOURNAMENT IS FULL.

FORMAT: 5 games, Round Robin
Game 5: DC/#5 @ Host, #2 @ #1, #4 @ #3
Game 6: Host @ #4, #1 @ DC/#5, #2 @ #3
Game 7: #3 @ Host, #1 @ #4, DC/#5 @ #2
Game 8: Host @ #2, #3 @ #1, #4 @ DC/#5
Game 9: #1 @ Host, #2 @ #4, #3 @ DC/#5

Host: CSU, Chico [CCAA]

Formal Invitations extended to the following schools:
Findlay [GLIAC]
U. of DC [S. Atlantic]
S. Arkansas [Gulf South]
American International [N10]
Kentucky Wesleyan [GLV]

Next up if any of those listed above decline their invivations or do not reply in a timely fashion would be:
Wayne St. (MI) [GLIAC]...would need Findlay to decline
Arkansas Tech [Gulf South]...would need S. Arkansas to decline
Christian Brothers [Gulf South]...would need S. Arkansas and Arkansas Tech to decline
LeMoyne Owen [Southern]
Central Arkansas [Gulf South]...would need S. Arkansas, Arkansas Tech and Christian Brothers to decline
W. Virginia Wesleyan [N. American]
Mercyhurst [GLV]...would need Kentucky Wesleyan to decline
Adams St. [Rocky Mountain]
Fairmont St. [WVIAC]

S. Arkansas is in.

I'm in. It might be a mistake, because I'm not on the same level with any of those teams. But I'm in. 

Wayne St. MI has declined, so LeMoyne Owen gets an invitation.

Glad you are in tarvolon, and your program can definitely compete with the others here.

So far the field consists of CSU, Chico, S. Arkansas and Kentucky Wesleyan. Invites are out to U of DC, American International and LeMoyne-Owen.

Still waiting on 3 coaches to reply to invites (and one has opened the invite but not replied...odd). I will invite the next 3 on the list shortly and the first 3 to reply will be in.

I have invited 4 more teams.  The first 3 to reply (including the 3 who already had outstanding invitations) will be in.  I'm trying to get the field set before recruiting starts just to make sure no one makes any scheduling mistakes.

Adams St. accepts an invite.  That leaves 2 spots.  So far the field consists of CSU Chico, S. Arkansas (the Muleriders, for those of you who like interesting mascots...my father actually played college golf for the Muleriders), Kentucky Wesleyan and Adams St.

Fairmont St. accepts.  One spot left and there are still 5 invites out that I'm waiting to hear back on.  First one to respond is in.

I have filled the final spot with Queens U (NC), coached by very good coach bvb (look at all the programs he has built in Iba...the guy can coach HD). Hopefully in the future we will be able to get all of the top programs to participate like they do on the Yarnell in Iba, but this should still be a very strong field. I will finalize the schedule when I get home and send it out to all of the participants.

Here's the schedule.

Format is a 5 game round robin:
Game 5: Queens U. NC @ CSU Chico, Kentucky Wesleyan @ S. Arkansas, Fairmont St. @ Adams St.
Game 6: CSU Chico @ Fairmont St., S. Arkansas @ Queens U NC, Kentucky Wesleyan @ Adams St.
Game 7: Adams St. @ CSU Chico, S. Arkansas @ Fairmont St., Queens U NC @ Kentucky Wesleyan
Game 8: CSU Chico @ Kentucky Wesleyan, Adams St. @ S. Arkansas, Fairmont St. @ Queens U NC
Game 9: S. Arkansas @ CSU Chico, Kentucky Wesleyan @ Fairmont St., Adams St @ Queens U NC

thanks!

Preseason rankings of this season's Bidwell Bash field:

#6 CSU, Chico

Players to watch in this season's field:

Kevin Temple, PG, 6'0, 167, SR - S. Arkansas - Preseason Honorable Mention All-American