2K Sports Classic


The 2K Classic is an annual college basketball tournament played in November at the beginning of the season and televised by ESPN. Originally known as the Atlantic City Shootout and produced by the Gazelle Group, Inc., the tournament was first played in 1995. The following year, it became the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic as a collaboration between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society in an effort to raise funds for cancer research. In 2012, the tournament beneficiary became Wounded Warrior Project, resulting in the tournaments new name. A new annual college basketball tournament benefiting cancer research, also called the Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic and hosted by the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was held from 2012 to 2014.
In the 2K Classic's current format, which began in 2014, eight teams from eight separate conferences are invited to the tournament. Two games are held at four different regional sites selected before the tournament. The semifinals and finals are held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where they have been since 1998, with the remaining four teams playing in a tournament format at a predetermined on-campus site.
In 2019, the event was renamed the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, and was commonly referred to as the "Empire Classic." Duke is the reigning 2K Classic champion, having defeated Georgetown 81–73 in the championship game on November 22, 2019.

History

The first two events were doubleheaders held at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The 1997 event was the first to be played in a tournament format and was won by Princeton at the Continental Airlines Arena in the New Jersey Meadowlands.
In 1998, the event moved to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where it has remained ever since. From 1997 through 2001, the event remained in the tournament format before going to a pair of showcase doubleheaders in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, the format changed into a 16-team event with teams from 16 separate conferences. Four predetermined regional round hosts played two games at home and the winners would play in the semifinals and finals at Madison Square Garden. Syracuse won the first tournament played in this format, beating Memphis, 77-62.
The 2007 event resulted in a format change once again. That year, Gardner-Webb won at Kentucky, 84-68, and advanced to the semifinals. After that, the semifinalists were predetermined, regardless of the results of the regional rounds. Beginning in 2009, the format was revised to a 12-team field and each team guaranteed four games in the tournament with the semifinalists advancing to Madison Square Garden and the remaining eight teams being split into two subregional tournaments played at predetermined campuses sites.
In the 2K Classic's current format, which began in 2014, eight teams from eight separate conferences are invited to the tournament. Two games are held at four different regional sites selected before the tournament. The semifinals and finals are held at Madison Square Garden and the remaining four teams play in a tournament format at a predetermined on-campus site.

Yearly champions, runners-up, and MVPs

Most appearances

Participants and brackets

Initial years (1995–2003)

1995



    • 1996



    • 1997



    • 1998



    • 1999



    • 2000



    • 2001



    • 2002





    • 2003





    • Previous formats (2004–2013)

    2004



    • 2005



    • 2006



    • 2007



    • 2008



    • 2009



    • 2010



    • 2011



    • 2012



    • 2013



    • Current format (2014–present)

    2014



    • 2015



    • 2016



    • 2017



    • 2018



    • 2019