NICEVILLE, Fla. -- The Penn State men's basketball team will join LSU, Oregon State and Wake Forest in the field for the 2021 Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament, presented by Global Sports.
The tournament will be played Thanksgiving weekend Friday-Saturday, Nov. 26-27 at The Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College. Penn State's last game in the Sunshine State was in Gainesville against Florida during the Nittany Lions' 2009 NIT championship run.
Wake Forest and Penn State met most recently in the B1G/ACC Challenge with the Nittany Lions taking a 76-54 win in December 2019 for a 2-1 series edge. A neutral site game at the 1966 Kentucky Invitational was the last, and only time, Penn State and Oregon State faced each other, a double-overtime 64-61 win for the Beavers. In the only previous contest between the Nittany Lions and the Tigers, Penn State topped LSU 78-70 in the East Regional Semifinals en route to the Nittany Lions' 1954 NCAA Final Four appearance.
"The reputation of our tournament has allowed us to continue to attract some of the top basketball programs in the country," said tournament director Maury Hanks, chief executive officer of Global Sports. "We continue to strive to bring the best college basketball teams possible to the Emerald Coast of Florida."
Global Sports has produced 46 multi-team college basketball tournaments since 2007.
Emerald Coast Classic History
2019 — Florida State, champion; Purdue, runner-up
2018 — Cincinnati, champion; Ole Miss, runner-up
2017 — TCU, champion; St. Bonaventure, runner-up
2016 — Virginia, champion; Providence, runner-up
2015 — Iowa State, champion; Illinois, runner-up
2014 — Ole Miss, champion; Cincinnati, runner-up
Keep up to date with the latest information from the Nittany Lions at @PennStateMBB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at @pennstatebasketball.
FOLLOW PENN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL VIRTUALLY
Please stay connected and follow Penn State men's basketball virtually throughout season. While we are unable to host fans this season due to COVID-19 protocols, fans are able to join the interest list for tickets for the 2021-22 men's basketball season. Sign up for the 2021-22 interest list by clicking here.
