KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will take on Miami in the 2024 Jimmy V Classic, as announced Wednesday afternoon by ESPN Events.
The Volunteers and Hurricanes are set to play Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m., at Madison Square Garden in New York City, live on ESPN.
Tickets for the doubleheader, which also includes an Arkansas/Michigan matchup at 9 p.m., will go on sale this fall. First priority and access to the best seats will be offered to fans who sign up for the pre-sale through jimmyvclassic.com.
“The Jimmy V Classic is a special event, not just because of the high quality of basketball it displays annually, but because of the name and the cause behind it,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “We are honored to be participating in this year’s edition. It will be a thrill for our players to compete at Madison Square Garden, while facing a veteran, well-coached Miami team will help prepare us for the rigors of SEC play.”
The Jimmy V Classic, named for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano, annually raises money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. The men’s classic began in 1995 and is in its 30th year – 21st at Madison Square Garden. The women’s event debuted in 2002.
Both events are part of ESPN’s V Week initiative, which utilizes platforms to talk to sports fans about the importance of cancer research. To date, ESPN has helped raise more than $236 million dollars for the V Foundation since 1993. ESPN’s annual V Week has helped to raise nearly $89 million over the past 17 years.
Tennessee has twice before played in the Jimmy V Classic. It dropped a 107-89 decision to No. 14 Virginia on Dec. 19, 2000, in East Rutherford, N.J., in its first appearance. Then, it came up short against Texas Tech, 57-52, in an overtime affair on Dec. 7, 2021, at Madison Square Garden.
All-time, the Volunteers are 6-9 in neutral-site games—matchups with opponents other than St. John’s—at Madison Square Garden, including 2-4 in the regular season, 4-4 in the NIT and 0-1 in the NCAA Tournament. That record dates back to a March 17, 1945, setback against Rhode Island, 51-44, in the opening round (quarterfinals) of the NIT.
In 2010, Tennessee claimed the NIT Season Tip-Off crown at Madison Square Garden by defeating VCU, 77-72, and seventh-ranked Villanova, 78-68, on Nov. 24 and Nov. 26, respectively.
The Volunteers possess a 3-1 all-time ledger against the Hurricanes, but the sides have not squared off in nearly 28 years. In the last contest, Tennessee earned an 84-60 home win on Dec. 22, 1996.
Tennessee and Miami have met twice before on a neutral floor, with each team winning once. More recently, the Hurricanes posted a 72-60 decision on Dec. 1, 1991, in the San Juan Shootout in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Before that, in the first clash between the two sides, the Volunteers recorded an 89-80 victory on Dec. 17, 1954, in the Montgomery Invitational Tournament in Montgomery, Ala.
The lone other matchup in the series came on Dec. 27, 1995, when Tennessee went on the road to collect a 56-54 win at Miami Arena.
Barnes and Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga are the only two active Division I head coaches on the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame ballot for their coaching career. Both have also previously served as the head coach at George Mason and an assistant coach at Davidson, while Larrañaga is alumnus of Providence, where Barnes was once the head coach (1988-94). Among active DI head coaches, they rank first (Larrañaga) and second (Barnes) in head coaching seasons at the DI level, as well as first (Larrañaga) and third (Barnes) in total college games coached.
The Hurricanes, who reached the Final Four in 2023 and the Elite Eight in 2022, are the third confirmed ACC opponent for Tennessee in 2024-25. The Volunteers will play at Louisville and host Syracuse, while a meeting with Virginia is possible at the Baha Mar Bahamas Hoops Championship.
In addition to the men’s matchups at Madison Square Garden, NC State will face Louisville in the Women’s Jimmy V Classic, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m., live on ABC from Louisville, Ky.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
ABOUT THE V FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN commentator. The V Foundation has funded over $353 million in game-changing cancer research grants nationwide through a competitive process strictly supervised by a world-class Scientific Advisory Committee. Because the V Foundation has an endowment to cover administrative expenses, 100% of direct donations is awarded to cancer research and programs. The V team is committed to accelerating Victory Over Cancer®. To learn more, visit v.org.
