NICEVILLE, FLA. — For the fifth consecutive year this fall, CBS Sports Network will televise the semifinal round and championship game of the Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament.
The semifinal round games on Nov. 29 will feature Florida State playing Tennessee at 6 p.m. Central Time, followed by VCU facing Purdue at 8:30 p.m. Central Time.
All four schools participated in the 2019 NCAA Tournament with Florida State, Purdue and Tennessee advancing to the Sweet 16.
The championship game on Nov. 30 will tip off at 6 p.m. Central Time at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College with the third place game set for 3 p.m.
Tickets will be available to purchase for the tournament online in mid-August at www.emeraldcoastclassic.com
Tennessee earned a school-record tying 31 wins last season, while enjoying a school-record 19-game winning streak and a program-record-tying three victories over top-five opponents.
For the first time in program history Tennessee spent the entire season ranked in the top 10 and the Vols spent four weeks ranked No. 1 in the 2018-19 Associated Press Top 25 rankings. Vols head coach Rick Barnes was named the 2018-19 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club as well as the National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association of America Florida State, ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll, posted a school record 29-8 mark in 2018-19 winning 16 of its last 19 games. The Seminoles advanced to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season, and the seventh time in 11 years.
Purdue, awarded the No. 3 seed in the South Region, was ranked No. 8 in the final 2018-19 USA Today/Coaches Poll after posting a 26-10 record. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship and closed out the season winning won 17 of their last 21 games, while owning the nation’s fifth-ranked offense in offensive efficiency.
Florida State, ranked No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll, posted a school record 29-8 mark in 2018-19 winning 16 of its last 19 games. The Seminoles advanced to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season, and the seventh time in 11 years.
VCU shattered expectations this season by winning the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title en route to a 25-8 record. The Rams, led by A-10 Coach of the Year Mike Rhoades, were predicted to finish seventh in the conference in the preseason poll.
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, PlayStation Vue, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers.
For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
Alabama State, Chattanooga, Chicago State and Jacksonville State round out the list of teams competing in the tournament.
First and second-round games will be played at on-campus sites Nov. 16 through Nov. 25 with the third round and championship round scheduled Thanksgiving weekend in Niceville, Fla.
Other third-round games on Friday feature Chicago State against Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. and Alabama State playing Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m.
Global Sports has produced 45 multi-team college basketball tournaments in the past 12 years including three during the 2019-20 season.
