North Carolina State University Athletics
ESPN Announces Creation Of Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic
8/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 24, 2001
ESPN, in conjunction with The V Foundation for Cancer Research, will stage and televise the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic, it was announced today by George Bodenheimer, ESPN President, and Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation. The annual early-season women's basketball doubleheader will be held in Raleigh, N.C., beginning with the inaugural event on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2002 -- with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The V Foundation.
ESPN and/or ESPN2 will feature live coverage of the two-game event, which will include four of the nation's elite women's basketball programs. For the inaugural event in 2002, two local teams will be featured as NC State will play Connecticut in one game, while Tennessee will take on Duke in the other. Each of the last four Final Fours has included at least one of these teams, and the four teams have combined to make six Final Four appearances since 1998.
The event joins the existing Jimmy V Men's Basketball Classic, which also raises money for The V Foundation. It has been held each year since 1995 in East Rutherford, N.J.
"The Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic supports two initiatives that ESPN is firmly committed to -- women's basketball and The V Foundation," said Bodenheimer. "These annual top match-ups will provide an exiting showcase of this great sport to local spectators and a national television audience."
Valvano added: "We at The Foundation are thrilled to add the Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic to our list of major national fundraising events. The commitment by ESPN, creating this event for us and bringing these four great women's teams together, is tremendous. The national spotlight will shine right here in Raleigh and we will join together with the Raleigh Chamber Sports Council to create a fundraising aspect for this tournament that will begin to fund a women's issue cancer research grant."
NC State Women's Basketball Head Coach and V Foundation Board Member Kay Yow said: "The NC State women's basketball family is so very pleased to participate in the inaugural Jimmy V Women's Basketball Classic in 2002. As a member of The V Foundation Board of Directors, I know that many people came forward to make this tournament a reality. Our dream was for The Foundation to host a premier women's basketball event that could be the cornerstone for fundraising efforts for a cancer research grant that addresses women's cancer issues. On this day, four great teams will play to a nationally televised audience and the focus of women's basketball fans across the country will center on Raleigh."
More details, including a network schedule and ticket information, will be announced at a later date.
