The lineup has changed for the 2024 Rady Children’s Invitational College Basketball Tournament, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Arkansas Razorbacks dropping out of the event, it was announced Thursday.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack and Ole Miss Rebels have signed on to replace the two teams, joining the Brigham Young University Cougars and Purdue University Boilermakers.
“Well, this is exciting,” said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego. “While we are disappointed that two teams have opted out of their contracts, we are so excited to welcome the SEC’s Ole Miss, and yet another team from last season’s Final Four, in NC State.”
NC State and Purdue played each other in last year’s Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. Purdue advanced to the championship game by defeating the Wolfpack, 63-50.
The four-team tournament will be played Nov. 28 and 29 in LionTree Arena on the UC San Diego campus.
Sponsoring this tournament “is one way we can say `thank you’ to San Diego for supporting Rady Children’s for more than 70 years,” said Steve Jennings, senior vice president and chief external affairs officer at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.
Along with Rady Children’s, Fox Sports, UC San Diego Athletics and Global Sports & Events, “We endeavor to produce the best early season college basketball tournament in the country,” Neville added.
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego features a 511-bed facility that offers comprehensive pediatric medical services in San Diego, southern Riverside and Imperial counties.
The tournament games will air nationally on Fox or FS1, officials said. Ticket prices for a two-day pass range from $80 to $140, with $5 from every ticket going towards Rady Children’s, are available at radychildrensinvitational.com/.
–City News Service
