The Capital Hoops Classic is a Canadian rivalry basketball series between the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and Carleton University Ravens. The series, featuring both the men's and women's teams, was held at the Canadian Tire Centre (known until 2013 as Scotiabank Place) from 2007 to 2019 until moving to TD Place Arena in 2020. Since 2015, the games traditionally occur on the first Friday in February.

Both schools are located in the city of Ottawa; Ottawa is older of the two and is located in the downtown Sandy Hill neighbourhood of the city, while Carleton sits between Old Ottawa South and Dow's Lake. Both teams compete in the East division of Ontario University Athletics in U Sports, and frequently finish near the top of the league table.

History On January 23, 2007, the two men's basketball teams faced off at Scotiabank Place in front of nearly 9,720 spectators, which was a record crowd for a regular season basketball game in U Sports (then known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport). The Ottawa Gee-Gees won the inaugural event 64–62. This event, now known as the Capital Hoops Classic, has been expanded to include the women's teams as well, with the Classic featuring a doubleheader of both teams.

The January 28, 2009 edition of the game broke the 2007 record with 10,523 fans attending the two games, with both of Carleton's teams posting victories over Ottawa.Carleton hosts Ottawa in 5th Capital Hoops Classic

In the 2013–14 season the teams faced each other both in the provincial and national finals, with Ottawa winning the OUA championship and Carleton winning the national title.

The 2015 matchup set a new record attendance at 10,780 and was the first time in the series where the Gee-Gees Men's team were the top-ranked team in the CIS, with the Ravens holding second. The Gee-Gees defeated the Ravens in an earlier game; the inaugural "Bytown Battle" which took place at the U of O's Montpetit Hall. However, while their women won 46–40, the Gee-Gees men were unable to defeat the Ravens in the rivalry series, falling 79–66.

The 2021 edition of the games were not played, and the 2022 games were played at Carleton University, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the games returned to TD Place.

Game results

Men's SeasonDateWinning teamLosing teamSeriesVenueAttendanceNotes2006–07 Jan 23, 2007Ottawa64 Carleton 62 OTT 1–0 Scotiabank Place 9,730 Inaugural edition2007–08 Jan 26, 2008Carleton70 Ottawa 66 TIED 1–1 Scotiabank Place 9,124 2008–09 Jan 28, 2009Carleton87 Ottawa 72 CAR 2–1 Scotiabank Place 10,523 2009–10 Jan 27, 2010Carleton77 Ottawa 66 CAR 3–1 Scotiabank Place 8,074 2010–11 Jan 26, 2011Carleton78 Ottawa 65 CAR 4–1 Scotiabank Place 7,565 2011–12 Jan 18, 2012Carleton74 Ottawa 34 CAR 5–1 Scotiabank Place 7,022 Largest margin of victory2012–13 Jan 23, 2013Carleton63 Ottawa 58 CAR 6–1 Scotiabank Place 6,208 2013–14 Jan 21, 2014Carleton82 Ottawa 58 CAR 7–1 Canadian Tire Centre 6,604 2014–15 Feb 6, 2015Carleton79 Ottawa 66 CAR 8–1 Canadian Tire Centre 10,780 Highest attendance record2015–16 Feb 5, 2016Ottawa 78 Carleton 72 CAR 8–2 Canadian Tire Centre 10,105 2016–17 Feb 3, 2017Carleton74 Ottawa 61 CAR 9–2 Canadian Tire Centre 10,030 2017–18 Feb 2, 2018Carleton67 Ottawa 56 CAR 10–2 Canadian Tire Centre 8,579 2018–19 Feb 1, 2019Carleton82 Ottawa 64 CAR 11–2 Canadian Tire Centre 9,004 2019–20 Feb 7, 2020 Ottawa 68 Carleton 67 CAR 11–3 TD Place 8,103 2021–22 Feb 18, 2022Carleton71 Ottawa 58 CAR 12–3 Raven's Nest Restricted attendance due to COVID-19 regulations2022–23 Feb 3, 2023Carleton67 Ottawa 61 CAR 13–3 TD Place 7,029 2023–24 Feb 2, 2024Ottawa71 Carleton 61 CAR 13–4 TD Place 6,137 2024–25 Feb 7, 2025Ottawa79 Carleton 66 CAR 13–5 TD Place 7,048 2025–26 Feb 6, 2026Ottawa73 Carleton 52 CAR 13–6 TD Place 6,100

Women's SeasonDateWinning teamLosing teamSeriesVenueAttendanceNotes2007–08 Jan 26, 2008Carleton53 Ottawa 43 CAR 1–0 Scotiabank Place 9,124 Inaugural edition2008–09 Jan 28, 2009Carleton62 Ottawa 53 CAR 2–0 Scotiabank Place 10,523 2009–10 Jan 27, 2010Carleton53 Ottawa 40 CAR 3–0 Scotiabank Place 8,074 2010–11 Jan 26, 2011Carleton71 Ottawa 63 CAR 4–0 Scotiabank Place 7,565 2011–12 Jan 18, 2012Ottawa59 Carleton 55 CAR 4–1 Scotiabank Place 7,022 2012–13 Jan 23, 2013Carleton68 Ottawa 50 CAR 5–1 Scotiabank Place 6,208 2013–14 Jan 21, 2014Ottawa57 Carleton 47 CAR 5–2 Canadian Tire Centre 6,604 2014–15 Feb 6, 2015Ottawa46 Carleton 40 CAR 5–3 Canadian Tire Centre 10,780 Highest attendance record2015–16 Feb 5, 2016Carleton73 Ottawa 50 CAR 6–3 Canadian Tire Centre 10,105 Largest margin of victory2016–17 Feb 3, 2017Carleton57 Ottawa 44 CAR 7–3 Canadian Tire Centre 10,030 2017–18 Feb 2, 2018Carleton57 Ottawa 41 CAR 8–3 Canadian Tire Centre 8,579 2018–19 Feb 1, 2019Ottawa61 Carleton 52 CAR 8–4 Canadian Tire Centre 9,004 2019–20 Feb 7, 2020 Ottawa 77 Carleton 75 CAR 8-5 TD Place 8,103 2021–22 Feb 18, 2022Carleton63 Ottawa 43 CAR 9–5 Raven's Nest Restricted attendance due to COVID-19 regulations2022–23 Feb 3, 2023Carleton66 Ottawa 60 CAR 10–5 TD Place 7,029 2023–24 Feb 2, 2024Carleton 78 Ottawa 72 CAR 11–5 TD Place6,1372024–25 Feb 7, 2025Carleton 58 Ottawa 54 CAR 12–5 TD Place 7,048 2025–26 Feb 6, 2026Carleton 87 Ottawa 60 CAR 13–5 TD Place 6,100

See also Panda Game Colonel By Classic

References