University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies to Face Gonzaga in Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge
7/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BOSTON (July 10, 2007) -– Three New England teams and one Hall of Fame coach anchor the second annual “Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge,” a one-day doubleheader in the home state of basketball on Dec. 1, 2007. Connecticut, coached by Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, will battle Gonzaga, a participant in the inaugural Hall of Fame Challenge last year, while Providence faces long-time rival Boston College in the nightcap. The event, an annual fundraiser for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., will be managed by Game Seven Sports Marketing, based in Lexington, Ky.
The ESPN nationally televised event will be played at TD Banknorth Garden, the home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics. Connecticut-Gonzaga will be televised to 94 million homes on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. followed by Boston College-Providence at 6 p.m. on ESPN Classic, which reaches 65 million homes. The broadcast will kick-off ESPN Classic’s initial offering of Saturday night college basketball coverage on the network.
Three Hall of Fame coaches have ties to Providence, including former players John Thompson and Lenny Wilkens and former coach and athletic director Dave Gavitt. Hall of Famers Bob Cousy and Chuck Daly each served as head coach of Boston College.
“We are thrilled to be competing in the Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge,” said Jim Calhoun, UConn Head Coach and Hall of Famer, Class of 2006. “The Basketball Hall of Fame has a special place in my heart and supporting the Hall is important to me and our program. We faced Gonzaga two years ago for the Maui Invitational Championship in what was a terrific basketball game. Our team looks forward to this tremendous challenge against one of the nation’s outstanding basketball programs.”
For the Huskies, the game will serve as the first of a neutral-neutral series with Gonzaga. In December 2008, UConn will play the Bulldogs in their “Battle in Seattle” at Key Arena.
“We’re looking forward to returning to the Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, because last year’s event was first class,” said Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few, whose team defeated Texas in Phoenix in December 2006. “Playing UConn in the TD Banknorth Garden will be a great challenge and we are excited about the opportunity.”
The mobile event, which launched last December, also showcased Arizona rallying to beat Illinois in front of a near-capacity crowd of 15,507 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix. Along with an ESPN audience and almost a dozen Hall of Fame members and celebrities in attendance, fans were able to experience an all-star based, “March Madness Saturday” in early December.
"We are excited about the opportunity to compete in the Hall of Fame Challenge," Providence College Head Coach Tim Welsh said. "We have had some tremendous games in the past against Boston College and we look forward to being able to play BC in the TD Banknorth Garden. I know our fans will support this as it will be a great day for college basketball in New England."
Boston College and Providence were in the midst of a home-and-home series, the first since the Eagles moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both teams agreed to suspend the series a year to play in the Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge.
“Anytime you have an opportunity to contribute to the Basketball Hall of Fame is great, but to participate in the Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge with a New England rivalry makes it that much better,” said Boston College Head Coach Al Skinner. “The Hall of Fame is a marvelous place to visit and anyone interested in the game should make the trip to Springfield, the birthplace of basketball.”
Through its stated mission to foster enthusiasm for learning and civic participation, the Hall of Fame Challenge will feature a variety of events that impact the Boston area beginning with the Basketball Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Challenge on Oct. 9, 2007 at The International in Bolton, Mass. More than 25 Hall of Famers are expected to participate in the corporate golf outing. The weekend of the doubleheader will be packed with community outreach, youth clinics, autograph sessions and unique hospitality offerings to impact the city of Boston.
”We are proud to bring this prestigious event to the state where basketball was born”, said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President and CEO. “These four great programs will help create an exciting basketball atmosphere in Boston and throughout New England, and we look forward to hosting the Challenge only 90 miles away from Springfield, home of the Hall of Fame and the city where basketball was invented by Dr. Naismith in 1891.”
Tickets for the doubleheader go on sale Sept. 4 at all Ticketmaster locations as well as . Each school will have tickets available to its students and alumni in August. For corporate packages, please contact Game Seven Sports at 859.317.2200 x2206. Complete event information can be found on or .
