UConn, Indiana, Texas, and Louisville will headline the 2023 Empire Classic, according to a report by Jon Rothstein. The Daily Hoosier can confirm that Indiana is planning to play in the 2023-24 season nonconference event.
According to Rothstein’s report, there is no timetable for an official announcement, and official matchups and dates for the event have not determined. Under its current format, Indiana should expect to play two games in two days.
Formerly known as the 2K Classic, the event is typically held in November, with games played in New York. The 2022 Empire Classic is Nov. 21-22 in Brooklyn.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson has connections to New York after serving as both the head coach and as an assistant coach of the New York Knicks.
“I spoke with, you know, my Knick family that I know well about, you know, possibly here in the future bringing the game to — I would love to do that,” Woodson said in November when asked about the idea of scheduling his IU team for games in New York. “I think I owe that to Jim Dolan and that Knick organization.
“I mean, we — our team has gone to New York a few times. I mean, we were out there for the NIT when I was here. And I know coach has taken the team out a number of times as well when he was coaching here.
“But it would be nice, I think, for our ball club to go back east and play in New York.”
Regarded as one of college basketball’s top nonconference events and televised on ESPN, The 2021 Empire Classic matched the top two teams in the country, and it was No.1 Gonzaga leading from start to finish to take an 83-63 decision over No. 2 UCLA.
Indiana played in the 2013 2K Classic, finishing as the runner up to UConn.
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