By ADAM ZAGORIA
The Empire Classic, Legends Classic, the Hall of Fame Tip-Off event and the Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge will run during a non-conference window from Nov. 25-Dec. 4 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., a source said Friday.
There will likely be no fans, although some could be allowed in the upper level of the arena.
The events break down like this:
Empire Classic (Nov. 25-26): Villanova, Baylor, Michigan, N.C. State
Hall of Fame Tip-Off (Nov. 28-29): Minnesota, Marquette, Rhode Island, UCF
Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge (Nov. 28-29): UConn, Maine, Mississippi State, Quinnipiac
Legends Classic (Dec. 3-4): UConn, Notre Dame, USC, Vanderbilt
Additonal teams and games will be added to round out the first window.
There will be a second window during four of five days from Dec. 7-11 where schools could play two non-conference games. That would be more of an open window that could absorb some games from the Hall of Fame Invitational featuring Purdue, West Virginia, Penn State, Florida, Georgia Tech and Stanford. Those games were supposed to be played at Barclays Center.
There would be a third possible window from Dec. 15-20, but because most conferences will be in play by then the focus is on the first two windows.
“If Window 3 becomes a thing, it could be absorbed by either a great game opportunity or some conference interest,” the source said.
Several high-profile games — including Baylor/Gonzaga and Villanova/Virginia — still need homes.
For more on the Mohegan Sun’s ability to host in a bubble, read my piece over at Forbes Sports.
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