Indiana men's basketball will play the defending national champion, the University of Connecticut, in the first round of the four-team Empire Classic tournament on Nov. 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as the matchups were announced Monday.
The Universities of Texas — which made the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament — and Louisville will play on the same day, with games starting at 1 p.m. EST. The winners of each matchup will play the next day in the championship game, while the teams that lost will compete for third. Indiana is 14-12 all-time in games played at Madison Square Garden.
The Hoosiers were initially named to the Empire Classic field back in April. Per that release, this year will mark the program’s second appearance at the event. Ten years ago, Indiana bested the University of Washington in the first round, then lost to UConn in the title game.
Tickets for the Empire Classic presented by Continental Tire benefiting Wounded Warrior Project can be purchased here. Seats are sold in doubleheader packages for each day.
