Florida Atlantic University’s men’s basketball team will head to Madison Square Garden in December to compete in the 2023 Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Corona, as announced by ESPN Events on Monday. The doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 5 will feature the Owls facing Illinois and North Carolina facing Connecticut. Both games will air on ESPN (times are TBD).
For the Owls, they return to the very location where they captured the East Regional title and secured their first Final Four bid in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The field boasts three teams that have made Final Four runs in the past two NCAA Tournaments, including 2023 National Champion UConn, North Carolina (appeared in the 2022 NCAA Championship game), and Florida Atlantic (2023 Final Four participant).
Three of the four participating teams are slotted in ESPN’s ‘Way-Too-Early Top 25’ rankings for the 2023-24 season, with Connecticut (No. 5) and Florida Atlantic (No. 9) in the Top 10 and North Carolina currently sitting at No. 15.
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Head Coach Dusty May
“Florida Atlantic Basketball is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Jimmy V Classic. We look forward to participating in this event and, most importantly, supporting the V Foundation. For our group, returning to Madison Square Garden will be very special and we’re excited for the opportunity to play a great program like Illinois.”
JIMMY V CLASSIC
The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The men’s classic began in 1995 and is in its 29th year – 20th at Madison Square Garden. The women’s event debuted in 2002. Both events are part of ESPN’s V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to talk to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise nearly $200 million dollars for the V Foundation. In 2022, V Week helped raise a record breaking $14.4 million dollars which was a 32% increase over 2020 fundraising.
Tickets for the men’s doubleheader will go on sale this fall. First priority and access to the best seats will be offered to fans who sign up for the pre-sale through jimmyvclassic.com.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things FAU men’s basketball, follow the Owls on social media @FAUMBB.
