Lady Vols basketball, UConn, Iowa, Louisville in first Women's Champions Classic on FOX
Lady Vols basketball is heading to the Big Apple next season.
Tennessee is playing in the inaugural Women's Champions Classic, which will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Dec. 7. The Women's Champions Classic is a new early-season college basketball showcase that will feature the Lady Vols, UConn, Iowa and Louisville.
The showcase, which was announced Thursday, will feature a primetime doubleheader on FOX, but the matchups between the four teams were not announced.
"We are honored to take part in the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic," Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper said in a release. "What an exciting opportunity for our student-athletes to compete in a national showcase event that will continue to elevate the increased exposure we are seeing in women’s basketball. The Lady Vols have a long tradition of doing whatever we can to grow the game, and we can’t wait to hit the court at the Barclays Center next December."
According to the release, the showcase was initially planned as an annual event that featured UConn in an early-season showcase, and it will include a rotation of some of the most storied college programs each season.
The showcase in December could potentially feature the return of the Lady Vols vs. UConn after the historic rivals didn't face off this season.
The series was renewed before Harper arrived at her alma mater, but the first matchup occurred during her first season. UConn has won all four matchups since the series was resumed in 2020 for the first time since 2007. It was not renewed for the 2023-24 season due to scheduling conflicts.
FOX has boasted some of the highest viewership numbers for women's college basketball this season thanks to two teams included in the showcase. Tennessee's matchup with Indiana on Thanksgiving drew 1.118 million viewers on FOX, which was the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever on FOX at the time.
That was later topped twice by Iowa – first in its win over Maryland on Feb. 3, which averaged 1.578 million viewers. Then the Hawkeyes beat that a week later, setting the record with 1.77 million viewers on Super Bowl Sunday in their loss to Nebraska.
"The Women’s Champions Classic is the next step in FOX Sports’ longstanding commitment to elevating women’s athletics, and we are eager to showcase these student-athletes at the highest level – in primetime on the FOX broadcast network," FOX Sports executive vice president Jordan Bazant said in a release. "Alongside our partners at HS&E, the exceptional participating schools and their conferences, we could not be more excited to bring the Women’s Champions Classic to college hoops fans around the nation."
The four teams combine for a total of 19 NCAA Championships – thanks to UConn and Tennessee – along with 46 appearances in the Final Four and 120 conference titles.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols in Women's Champions Classic with UConn, Iowa, Louisville
