The Empire Classic is an annual college basketball event played in November at the beginning of the season and televised by ESPN. Originally known as the Atlantic City Shootout and produced by the Gazelle Group, Inc., the event was first played in 1995. The following year, it became the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic as a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society in an effort to raise funds for cancer research. In 2012, the tournament beneficiary became Wounded Warrior Project, resulting in the tournament being renamed the 2K Sports Classic. (A new annual college basketball tournament benefiting cancer research, also called the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and hosted by the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was held from 2012 to 2014.) In 2019, the 2K Sports Classic was renamed the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, commonly referred to as the "Empire Classic".
History The first two events were doubleheader showcases held at the Atlantic City Convention Center (now Boardwalk Hall). From 1997 through 2001, the event was played as a tournament. Princeton won the first tournament in 1997, which took place at Continental Airlines Arena in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
In 1998, the event moved to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where it remained through 2019. In both 2002 and 2003, it was played as a showcase doubleheader. In 2004, it became a tournament again, with a new format as a 16-team event with teams from 16 separate conferences. Four predetermined regional round hosts played two games at home and the winners play in the semifinals and finals at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse won the first tournament played in this format, beating Memphis, 77–62, in 2004.
In 2007, Gardner–Webb unexpectedly won at Kentucky, 84–68, and advanced to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, preventing one of the tournament's marquee teams from playing there. To ensure that the marquee teams would play in the semifinals in the 2008 tournament, the semifinalists were predetermined, regardless of the results of the regional rounds. Beginning in 2009, the format was revised to a 12-team field and each team was guaranteed four games in the tournament, with the semifinalists advancing to Madison Square Garden and the remaining eight teams being split into two subregional tournaments played at predetermined campus sites.
In 2014, the tournament format changed again, with eight teams from eight separate conferences invited to the tournament. Two games were held at four different regional sites selected before the tournament. The semifinals and finals were held at Madison Square Garden and the remaining four teams played in a tournament format at a predetermined on-campus site. This format persisted through 2019.
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging in the United States during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, the Empire Classic was one of the very few multiteam events held during the fall of 2020.Freeman, Tristan, "NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2020 2K Empire Classic," bustingbrackets.com, November 27, 2020 Accessed March 11, 2021 With no fans permitted to attend, it took place behind closed doors at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Only four teams participated. Baylor withdrew from it after head coach Scott Drew tested positive for COVID-19; Rhode Island replaced Baylor.
In 2021, the tournament format was dropped, and the Empire Classic took place as a showcase event at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four teams participated, and the event consisted of two doubleheaders played over the course of two days,
The 2024 Empire Classic returned to a showcase format, with Maryland defeating Villanova 76–75 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The 2025 Empire Classic continues with the format, with UCLA facing California at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, along with campus site games featuring Sacramento State and Presbyterian.
Yearly champions, runners-up, and MVPs YearWinnerScoreOpponentTournament MVPOther participantsVenue2025Showcase format – no tournament Chase Center, San Francisco, CA2024Showcase format – no tournament Prudential Center, Newark, NJ2023UConn81–71TexasTristen Newton, UConnIndiana, LouisvilleMadison Square Garden, New York, NY2022St. John's76–69SyracuseAndré Curbelo, St. John'sRichmond, TempleBarclays Center, Brooklyn, NY2021Showcase format – no tournament T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV20201Villanova83–74Arizona StateJeremiah Robinson-Earl, VillanovaBoston College, Rhode IslandMohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT2019Duke81–73GeorgetownVernon Carey Jr., DukeTexas, California Madison Square Garden, New York, NY2018Iowa91–72ConnecticutLuka Garza, IowaSyracuse, Oregon2017Providence90–63Saint LouisKyron Cartwright, ProvidenceVirginia Tech, Washington2016Michigan76–54SMUZak Irvin, MichiganPittsburgh, Marquette2015Duke86–84GeorgetownGrayson Allen, DukeWisconsin, VCU2014Texas71–55CaliforniaJonathan Holmes, TexasSyracuse, Iowa2013Connecticut59–58IndianaShabazz Napier, ConnecticutBoston College, Washington2012Alabama77–55VillanovaTrevor Releford, AlabamaOregon State, Purdue2011Mississippi State67–57ArizonaArnett Moultrie, Mississippi StateSt. John's, Texas A&M2010Pittsburgh68–66TexasAshton Gibbs, PittsburghIllinois, Maryland2009Syracuse87–71North Carolina Wesley Johnson, SyracuseCalifornia, Ohio State2008Duke71–56Michigan Kyle Singler, DukeUCLA, Southern Illinois2007Memphis81–70Connecticut Chris Douglas-Roberts, MemphisGardner–Webb, Oklahoma2006Maryland62–60Michigan State D. J. Strawberry, MarylandSt. John's, Texas2005Florida75–70Syracuse Taurean Green, FloridaTexas Tech, Wake Forest2004Syracuse77–62Memphis Hakim Warrick, SyracuseMississippi State, St. Mary's2003Showcase format – no tournament2002Showcase format – no tournament2001Arizona75–71Florida Jason Gardner, ArizonaMaryland, Temple2000Kansas82–74St. John's Kenny Gregory, KansasKentucky, UCLA1999Stanford72–58Iowa Jarron Collins, StanfordConnecticut, Duke1998Temple59–48Wake Forest Lamont Barnes, TempleGeorgetown, Illinois1997Princeton38–36North Carolina State Brian Earl, PrincetonGeorgia, TexasContinental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ1996Showcase format – no tournament Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ1995Showcase format – no tournament
Most Championships Championships Teams 3 Duke (2008, 2015, 2019)2Syracuse (2004, 2009), UConn (2013, 2023) Updated through 2023 event.
Most appearances Appearances Teams 7 Texas (1997, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019, 2023), Syracuse (2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2022) 5 UConn (1999, 2007, 2013, 2018, 2023), St. John's (2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2022) 4 Marquette (1995, 2002, 2003, 2016), Temple (1996, 1998, 2001, 2022), Duke (1999, 2008, 2015, 2019), Memphis (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007), California (2004, 2009, 2014, 2019) 3 Georgetown (1998, 2015, 2019), Wake Forest (1998, 2003, 2005), Iowa (1999, 2014, 2018), UCLA (2000, 2008, 2021), Maryland (2001, 2006, 2010), Alabama (2002, 2003, 2012), Villanova (2002, 2012, 2020), Pittsburgh (2003, 2010, 2016), UC-Irvine (2005, 2010, 2013), Alcorn State (2006, 2009, 2014), Prairie View (2008, 2015, 2019) Updated through 2023 event.
Participants and brackets * – Denotes overtime period
1995 Showcase Format – No Tournament
1996 Showcase Format – No Tournament
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002 Showcase Format – No Tournament
2003 Showcase Format – No Tournament
2004
Syracuse Memphis Mississippi State California Alabama A&M Belmont Birmingham–Southern Bucknell Fairfield George Mason IPFW Northern Colorado Princeton Savannah State Saint Mary's UC-Riverside
2005
Florida Syracuse Wake Forest Texas Tech Albany Bethune–Cookman Cornell George Mason Georgia Southern Mississippi Valley State Oakland Portland St. Francis (Pennsylvania) St. Peter's San Jose State UC Irvine
2006
Maryland Michigan State Texas St. John's Alcorn State Brown Central Michigan Chicago State Hampton Loyola Maryland Navy New Orleans North Florida St. Bonaventure Vermont Youngstown State
2007
Memphis Connecticut Kentucky Oklahoma Alabama A&M Buffalo Central Arkansas Denver East Central (Oklahoma) Gardner–Webb Maine Morgan State Ohio Valley Richmond San Francisco Tennessee–Martin
2008
Duke Michigan Southern Illinois UCLA Arkansas–Monticello California University of Pennsylvania Georgia Southern Houston IUPUI Massachusetts Miami (OH) Michigan Tech Northeastern Prairie View A&M Presbyterian Weber State
2009
Syracuse North Carolina Ohio State California Albany Alcorn State Detroit Florida International Robert Morris James Madison Murray State North Carolina Central
2010
Pittsburgh Illinois Maryland Texas Charleston UIC Louisiana Tech Navy Rhode Island Seattle Toledo UC Irvine
2011
Mississippi State Arizona St. John's Texas A&M Akron Duquesne Eastern Kentucky Hiram IU Kokomo Lehigh Liberty UDC Valparaiso William & Mary
2012
Alabama Villanova Purdue Oregon State Bucknell Hofstra Marshall New Mexico State Niagara Northern New Mexico South Dakota State UDC West Alabama
2013
Connecticut Indiana Boston College Washington Boston University Detroit Eastern Washington Florida Atlantic LIU Brooklyn Stony Brook Toledo UC Irvine
2014
Texas Syracuse Iowa California Alcorn State Hampton Kennesaw State North Dakota State
2015
Duke Georgetown VCU Wisconsin Bryant Prairie View A&M Radford Siena
2016
Michigan SMU Pittsburgh Marquette Eastern Michigan Howard IUPUI Gardner–Webb
2017
2018
2019
2020 The 2020 tournament was held November 25–26 behind closed doors at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions.
2021 The top two teams in the country, Gonzaga and UCLA, headlined the 27th annual Empire Classic, held at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 22 and 23. Joining them were Central Michigan and Bellarmine. The format reverted to a showcase event.
Showcase Format – No Tournament
2022 The tournament took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 21 and 22, 2022.
Game recaps:
2023 The tournament took place on November 19 and 20, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.
2024 Villanova and Maryland will square off in the Showcase Game of the 2024 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project on November 24, 2024 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Showcase Format – No Tournament
2025 UCLA and California will square off in the Showcase Game of the 2025 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project on November 25, 2025 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. The two sides also host Sacramento State and Presbyterian in campus-site games.
Campus-site games Home teams listed second.
Showcase Format – No Tournament
References
External links