PRINCETON, N.J. — August 14, 2023
By: Zach Greenwell
Louisville men’s basketball will face Texas in the first round of the 2023 Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project presented by Continental Tire, the tournament announced Monday.
The Cardinals will meet the Longhorns at historic Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 19. Defending national champion UConn and Indiana will square off on the opposite side of the bracket, with the semifinal doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Second-round matchups are slated for Nov. 20, with the championship doubleheader set to begin at 4:30 p.m. Television assignments will be released at a later date.
Tickets for the Empire Classic can be purchased at the following link: https://uofl.me/45apnEI
Louisville is 4-1 all-time against Texas, which finished 29-9 last season, won the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.
The teams haven’t met since the Cardinals picked up a 78-63 victory in the 1997 NCAA East Regional.
Texas will be making its seventh appearance in the Empire Classic, the most of any school (1997, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019). They won the event in 2014, defeating California 71-55 in the championship game.
On the other side of the bracket, Louisville is 9-11 all-time against regional rival Indiana and 11-6 against UConn. The former conference foes have not met since 2014.
This will be the Cardinals’ first time competing in the Empire Classic, although they’re no strangers to Madison Square Garden. Louisville competed frequently in the storied arena as former members of the Big East Conference, and UofL head coach Kenny Payne and additional members of his staff are very familiar with the venue during their time on staff with the NBA’s New York Knicks.
Those interested in receiving updates can sign up for alerts at Gazelle Ticket Updates and follow the Empire Classic on Twitter @EmpireClassicBB and on Instagram @empireclassicbb.
About the Empire Classic presented by Continental Tire benefiting Wounded Warrior Project
First played in 1995, the Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project presented by Continental Tire is acclaimed as college basketball’s premier early-season tournament. Featuring teams from across the nation, the Empire Classic annually attracts the top programs in the sport.
About the Gazelle Group
The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized college sports events, such as the Empire Classic, Legends Classic, the Gotham Classic, the Sunshine Slam, the College Basketball Invitational, the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off, the Barstool Sports Invitational as well as on-campus events at Duke, Kentucky, Nebraska and other institutions across the country. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project (@wwp) is the beneficiary of the Empire Classic. With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, WWP is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they adjust to their new normal and achieve new triumphs. Offering a variety of programs and services, WWP is equipped to serve warriors with every type of injury – from the physical to the invisible wounds of war.