Five years ago, even before 63,626 fans gathered at SDCCU Stadium for the midseason football game between Navy and Notre Dame, Sports San Diego officials knew they were expecting something.
“When we secured the Navy vs. Notre Dame football game here, we realized we could do more for San Diego,” said Sports San Diego CEO Mark Neville. said.
The organization is best known for hosting the annual DirecTV Holiday Bowl.
But why stop there? And why limit it to soccer?
Those questions led to the inaugural Rady Children’s Invitational College Basketball Tournament being held this week at Lion Tree Arena at the University of California, San Diego.
The two-day event begins Thursday and brings together teams from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 in an environment that has the feel of an NCAA regional tournament.
Thanksgiving Day games include Oklahoma (4-0) vs. Iowa (3-1) at noon and Seton Hall (4-0) vs. No. 23 USC (3-1) at 2:30 p.m.
The winning and losing teams will face each other in the final and third-place games on Friday, starting at 12:30 and 3 p.m.
Holiday tournaments are becoming more and more popular each year. But why do events like the Maui Invitational, the Las Vegas Invitational, the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, and the Wood Legacy in Fullerton hog the headlines?
Why not fill a restaurant or hotel room here?
“The purpose of Sports San Diego is to promote tourism through sports,” Neville said. “We thought the Thanksgiving break was a necessary time for San Diego tourism. This is the time of year when early season tournaments are held, so we were filling a void.”
The 2024 field has already been announced and features Arkansas, BYU, Purdue, and… Notre Dame.
For Sports San Diego officials, the Fighting Irish were once again prominent.
This is something of a packaging coup, considering the Notre Dame football team will be in Southern California that weekend, playing against USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“We want this to be one of the best programs in the country and what we look for in the best programs in the country,” Neville said. “It’s going to be special.”
Rady Children’s Invitational
what: College basketball tournament at Lion Tree Arena at the University of California, San Diego
thursday game
Oklahoma vs. Iowa, noon
Seton Hall vs. USC, 2:30 p.m.
friday’s game
Oklahoma vs. Seton Hall or USC, 12:30 p.m.
Iowa vs. Seton Hall or USC, 3 p.m.
tv set: Thursdays on FOX Sports 1 and Fridays on FOX.
Ticket information: Prices start at $35 per day or $60 for a two-day pass. Information is available at radychildrensinvitational.com.
parking: Free parking is available at the Hopkins Parking Structure, located just south of Lion Tree Arena.
Fan zone: Two food trucks and a beer garden, as well as activities and merchandise booths, will be open to fans with game tickets starting 90 minutes before tipoff.