Editor: The following is part of a press release from emeraldcoastclassic.com.
(Niceville, FL) — DePaul, Drake, Georgia Tech and LSU headline the field for the 2025 Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament, presented by Global Sports.
The tournament will be played Thanksgiving weekend Nov. 28-29 at Raider Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College.
DePaul will face Georgia Tech in a semifinal round game at 6 p.m. central time on Friday, Nov. 28, while Drake will play LSU at 8:30 p.m. The third-place game will be played at 3 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 29 with the championship game scheduled for 6 p.m. that Saturday.
Both of the semifinal round games as well as the championship game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
LSU will be making its second appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic, claiming the 2021 title after beating Wake Forest, 75-61, in the championship. Matt McMahon enters his fourth year as head coach welcoming an incoming transfer class that is ranked No. 16 by 247sports.
Drake is coming off a school-record 31-4 mark, sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles along with a trip to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Eric Henderson was named the school’s 31st head coach March 28.
Georgia Tech, under third-year coachDamon Stoudamire, posted a 17-17 record last season, advancing to the National Invitational Tournament.
In his inaugural year as head coach Chris Holtmann guided DePaul to the first round of the 2025 College Basketball Crown, marking the school’s first appearance in the postseason tournament since the 2018-19 season. Holtmann led Ohio State to the 2023 Emerald Coast Classic championship.
Global Sports has produced 57 multi-team college basketball tournaments since 2007.
Emerald Coast Classic History
2023 — Ohio State, champion; Santa Clara, runner-up
2022 — TCU, champion; Iowa, runner-up
2021 — LSU, champion; Wake Forest, runner-up
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
Editor: Drake was the champion of last year’s Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.
Twitter Feed
ICYMI: @DrakeBulldogsMB is the latest @ValleyHoops squad to sign on for an MTE. Very good field. #FatherHarry
Love listening to NBA coverage and have the analyst talk about how @DrewHanlen helped Haliburton adjust his game for that pivotal second finals win. Drew, we're happy for and proud of you in #TheLou.
More @ValleyHoops MTE news. @DrakeBulldogsMB is headed to the Emerald Coast Classic with a great field. #FatherHarry
NCAA made some rule changes. Coaches being able to challenge is probably good, but will make the games slow down even more. How will officials decide this continuation rule? That opens so many new options that will be controversial. We'll see!
