Tigers to Play in Charleston Classic

ESPN Regional Television, Inc., (ERT) a subsidiary of ESPN, announced today the creation of the Charleston Classic, an eight-team men’s college basketball tournament that will be played Nov. 14-16 at the brand new Carolina First Center in Charleston, S.C.

The tournament will feature 12 games through three days and will be the first event held at the 5,000-seat Carolina First Center on the campus of the College of Charleston.

The Southern Conference, based in Spartanburg, S.C., is the sponsoring conference of the Charleston Classic. More information can be found on the official web site: LINK.

The College of Charleston will be part of the inaugural field along with Clemson, East Tennessee State, Hofstra, Temple, TCU, Western Michigan and one more team to be determined.

“I'm really excited for us to open the new arena with the Charleston Classic and to be a part of bringing outstanding college basketball to the wonderful fans of Charleston,” said College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins.

Clemson and Temple played in the NCAA Tournament last season, and four of the eight teams playing in the Charleston Classic won at least 19 games in 2007-08: Clemson (24-10), ETSU (19-13), Temple (21-13) and Western Michigan (20-12).

Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The College of Charleston will move its home games to the Carolina First Center this year after playing 24 seasons at John Kresse Arena.

“We are thrilled that ESPN has chosen the City of Charleston and our new arena as the site for their new college basketball tournament,” said Joe Hull, Director of Athletics at the College of Charleston. “The tournament will offer fans the beauty of historic Charleston along with great shopping, fabulous dining, fun beaches, perfect weather and great basketball. The teams and their fans will love Charleston in November.”

“We are extremely excited to be selected as a sports travel destination for ESPN’s newest college basketball tournament,” said Kathleen Cartland, Executive Director, Charleston Metro Sports Council. “After six-plus years of developing a partnership with ESPN executives, the Sports Council leadership is eager to assist in hosting this top collegiate event. And with Charleston as a backdrop, we look forward to showcasing a new state-of-the-art arena and a multitude of other amenities for our first-time visitors.”

ERT expects to release the tournament bracket and ticket information for the Charleston Classic later this summer.