Games to be held in Downtown Phoenix on December 8th and 18th
PHOENIX, AZ (June 24, 2019) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the field of teams and game schedules for two college basketball events to be held at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 18. The field of teams are as follows:
Air Force Reserve Jerry Colangelo Classic presented by Citi
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Liberty University vs. Grand Canyon University
St. Mary’s College vs. University of Dayton
Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
St. Mary’s College vs. Arizona State University
“We look forward to holding two fantastic collegiate events in Arizona, featuring two local teams who have had some great success in recent seasons,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We think this will be a great opportunity for college basketball fans to come out and enjoy the wonderful desert climate while supporting their teams in downtown Phoenix this holiday season.”
The Jerry Colangelo Classic and Basketball Hall of Fame Showcaseare two events in the Hall of Fame’s series of collegiate events, which continues to grow in an effort to celebrate the game outside the museum walls. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to continue its relationship with Learfield IMG College for sponsorship representation of its portfolio of collegiate events.
Tickets for the Jerry Colangelo Classic and Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase will go on-sale to the general public on June 27th via all Ticketmaster locations and the Talking Stick Resort Arena box office. Citi is the official presale credit card of the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets on June 25th and 26th, 2019. Game times and television broadcast information will be released at a later date.
Quotes from Participating Head Coaches
“Liberty is honored and humbled by the opportunity to play in the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Jerry Colangelo Classic. Mr. Colangelo has done so much for the game of basketball not only in the U.S., but across the world. This game affords our players the opportunity to play in a tournament-like atmosphere against an exceptional opponent in GCU.” – Ritchie McKay, Liberty University
“Mr. Colangelo has had a big impact on me both as a player and as a coach. To again play in an event that bears his name means a lot. He is a huge part of this university. Also, to return downtown to play a game in the Suns arena for the third straight year is always a great experience for our players and our fans. On top of that, we’re playing a really good team who won a game in the NCAA tournament last year, so it will be a good test for us.” – Dan Majerle, Grand Canyon University
"We are honored and excited to play in the 2019 Jerry Colangelo Classic. The impact that Mr. Colangelo has had on the sport of basketball in our country is incredible. Coach Bennett has built a great program and St. Mary's will be another high-level opponent on our schedule. We are looking forward to playing in Phoenix and giving our fans from the Southwest and West Coast an opportunity to see us in person." – Anthony Grant, University of Dayton
"We are looking forward to playing Dayton and Arizona State this year in Phoenix. With neutral site games against Wisconsin and Nevada as well, we think our non-conference schedule will be very competitive. Dayton and ASU are programs with great histories and tons of previous success so it should be a good test for our guys." – Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s College
“We are thrilled to play another great neutral site game against a solid opponent, while competing at a place our fans are familiar with and can support us. We have played in a lot of states and cities the past four years in non-conference action, so it will be nice to play a game like this in Sun Devil territory. President Crow has done an amazing job with our downtown campus, and we look forward to playing in that area in a quality December matchup against another 2019 NCAA Tournament team.” – Bob Hurley, Arizona State University
About Talking Stick Resort Arena
Talking Stick Resort Arena is Arizona’s premier sports and entertainment venue. Centrally located in downtown Phoenix and host to dozens of concerts and live events each year, Talking Stick Resort Arena is home to the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and IFL’s Arizona Rattlers. For more information, visit www.talkingstickresortarena.com.
About Citi:
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citibank | YouTube:www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #ColangeloClassic and #BHOFShowcase or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.