76 CLASSIC

Field for 76 Classic in 2009 Proving to be Powerhouse-Packed
Six Participating Teams were in 2008-09 NCAA Tournament

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The third annual 76 Classic, to be held on Thanksgiving weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center adjacent to California’s Disneyland, is shaping up to be a monster event on the West Coast. Seven of the eight invited teams recently competed in post season play, with six in the NCAA Men’s Tournament. Three of those teams were ranked in either the ESPN or USA Today Top 25 poll at the end of the regular season, while another received votes.

Eight conferences will be represented in the 2009 field at the 76 Classic: No. 18 UCLA (26-9, Pac-10); No. 24 Clemson (23-9, ACC); No. 25 Butler (26-6, Horizon); West Virginia (23-12, Big East); Minnesota (22-11, Big Ten); Texas A&M (24-10, Big 12); Long Beach State (15-15, Big West); and Portland (19-13, West Coast). West Virginia also received votes in the Top 25 polls.

Butler, Clemson, Minnesota, Texas A&M, UCLA and West Virginia all competed in the NCAA Tournament. Portland competed in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament. The teams in the 76 Classic’s 2009 field combined for a 176-79 record and a .690 winning percentage. All eight teams posted winning records.

“Our plan for each of the in-season tournaments is to create a field that might feature eventual first-round postseason matchups,” said Pete Derzis, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ESPN Regional Television. “We’re excited that the 76 Classic field for the 2009 Thanksgiving weekend has that potential, based on the performances of these teams during the 2008-09 campaign. The 76 Classic looks to be highly competitive and should provide some entertaining basketball for fans attending the event in Southern California.”

The 76 Classic is a bracketed collegiate basketball tournament that features eight schools. The 12 games in 2009 will be played Nov. 26, 27 and 29 and will be telecast live nationally on the ESPN family of networks. The inaugural Classic was played in 2007 when USC, led by Most Outstanding Player, O.J.Mayo, defeated Southern Illinois in the title game, 70-45.

In 2008, three players with double-doubles helped Wake Forest take the crown as champion of the second annual 76 Classic, an 87-74 winner over Baylor. At one point during the 2008-09 campaign the Demon Deacons were ranked No. 1 in the nation, handing 2009 participant Clemson its first loss of the season. All told six of the eight teams from the 76 Classic of 2008 competed in post-season play. Wake Forest and Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament; Baylor, Providence and Saint Mary’s in the NIT; and UTEP in the CBI Tournament. Baylor and UTEP advanced to the championship round of their respective tournaments.

The Big West Conference will again serve as the host for the 76 Classic in the 7,800-seat Anaheim Convention Center, which has served the conference for the past nine years as the site of its posteason men’s and women’s tournament.

ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership
The nation’s largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 1,000 telecasts of sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. – BIG EAST, SEC, Big 12, Mid-American, Sun Belt, WAC).

ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several sporting events, including collegiate football events: the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas); New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Papajohns.com Bowl (Birmingham, Ala.); MAACO Bowl Las Vegas; Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); St. Petersburg Bowl; the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.) ; and The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards; collegiate basketball events: the 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); Charleston Classic (S.C.); Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); O’Reilly Auto Parts All-College Classic (Oklahoma City); SEC/BIG EAST Invitational; and the ESPNU BracketBusters; as well as the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway. For more information, visit ESPNPlus.com.