UConn, Indiana, Louisville, Texas headline 2023 Empire Classic

[Mr. Wonderful]

UConn, Indiana, Texas, Louisville to headline 2023 Empire Classic

UConn, Indiana, Texas, and Louisville will headline the 2023 Empire Classic, multiple sources told College Hoops Today. There is no timetable for an official announcement. Official matchups and dates for the event is TBD. Syracuse, St. John’s, Temple, and Richmond will headline next season’s...

collegehoopstoday.com

 

[Jay-Bone]

"Syracuse, St. John’s, Temple, and Richmond will headline next season’s Empire Classic"

 

[Huskyforlife]

"Syracuse, St. John’s, Temple, and Richmond will headline next season’s Empire Classic"

I feel bad for Richmond…

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I feel bad for Richmond…

IDK, another prospective Spiders defeat of Syracuse will have a lot of UConn and national support.

March 21, 1991. First March Madness 15-seed defeat of a 2-seed. Up Richmond!

 

[bendm]

any 1 of the 3 will make for a quality OOC game but i hope it's Texas

 

[Brochacho]

any 1 of the 3 will make for a quality OOC game but i hope it's Texas

I think UConn/Texas and Louisville/Indiana are the matchups that make sense.

 

[Waquoit]

Chicago?

 

[alphasigko]

Chicago?

"Empire" implies New York State/City and that means, IMO, MSG.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

"Empire" implies New York State/City and that means, IMO, MSG.

Yes and the 2022 games are in Brooklyn.

 

[shizzle787]

This is really good news. Now we just need to get a permanent home and home with Syracuse going.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

This is really good news. Now we just need to get a permanent home and home with Syracuse going.

Meh. I'd rather do a home and home with tobacco road schools.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No bad matchups here. Happy to play any of them.

 

[freescooter]

I am not a fan of these neutral site games. I don’t object to the teams. They are fine. Just rather play Home and Home. Though this one it is kind of like old timers day, if you had Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle and Gerald Williams. Three programs that used to be something and one that never quite was.

 

[CL82]

Meh. I'd rather do a home and home with tobacco road schools.

I’d be willing to do a Gampel and Madison Square Garden series with Syracuse. There’s not much incentive to play any games in Canada.

 

[Ts5034]

I think UConn/Texas and Louisville/Indiana are the matchups that make sense.

Texas would be nice, that would mean we play two Big 12 teams out of conference since we are included in the Big East/Big 12 games. Maybe they have us play Indiana or Louisville because of that? If It’s Indiana, that would be 3 games vs Indiana at MSG in the last 10 years…

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I’d be willing to do a Gampel and Madison Square Garden series with Syracuse. There’s not much incentive to play any games in Canada.

At this point, I don't see much upside for us playing Syracuse (especially up there)... I'd much rather impress the ACC brass with games in their backyard, do games in places that need an attendance boost (Miami, etc.) because we can fill arenas almost anywhere, or do games in recruiting hotbeds such as GA Tech in Atlanta, etc. With us being a coveted in-season tournament asset, our schedules quickly fill up so we have to be and can be very strategic with our non-conference opponents. Further, we can possibly create a larger scheduling relationship and get some attractive football games out of it as well (and utilize the amazing draw that the women's team is as well).

 

[CL82]

At this point, I don't see much upside for us playing Syracuse (especially up there)... I'd much rather impress the ACC brass with games in their backyard, do games in places that need an attendance boost (Miami, etc.) because we can fill arenas almost anywhere, or do games in recruiting hotbeds such as GA Tech in Atlanta, etc. With us being a coveted in-season tournament asset, our schedules quickly fill up so we have to be and can be very strategic with our non-conference opponents. Further, we can possibly create a larger scheduling relationship and get some attractive football games out of it as well (and utilize the amazing draw that the women's team is as well).

I think our best shot at games with ACC teams are probably the Tobacco Road teams. They were the institutions that supported our joining the ACC. I’m not sure that Miami has any interest in playing us, and to be honest, I really don’t care all that much about playing them. But games against Dook and UNC would be a draw.

 

[evmore]

No bad matchups here. Happy to play any of them.

they are all tough, but the team you play in week 1 or 2 is much different than the team you play in March.

 

[navery12]

Give me Texas, especially with the Big East/Big 12 challenge going away

 

[HCCForever]

Chicago?

I thought that I saw a reference to United Center. But now I'm not so sure. It may be at Barclay's. I know this year's was held in Las Vegas but probably due to Covid.

 

[Waquoit]

I thought that I saw a reference to United Center. But now I'm not so sure. It may be at Barclay's. I know this year's was held in Las Vegas but probably due to Covid.

Yeah, I read it wrong.

 

[huskyinfl]

This just in, Louisville has hired the father of the Empire Basketball Tournament

 

[M.S.G.]

Definitely would love a UConn/Texas matchup now..

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I think our best shot at games with ACC teams are probably the Tobacco Road teams. They were the institutions that supported our joining the ACC. I’m not sure that Miami has any interest in playing us, and to be honest, I really don’t care all that much about playing them. But games against Dook and UNC would be a draw.

My only point is that if we played in Miami and sold out the building then we'd show our value to the ACC; and if we wove in a football series and or a women's basketball series it would help with recruiting, etc. Same with Georgia Tech.

 

[Waquoit]

My only point is that if we played in Miami and sold out the building then we'd show our value to the ACC;

They know our value. They said no. Twice. I don't want us like that dog under the dinner table looking for scraps.