The 2011 Classic features Butler-Purdue at 2pm, and Indiana-Notre Dame at 4:30pm.
No surprise here, because Indiana is basketball country.
The first annual Close The Gap Crossroads Classic at Conseco Fieldhouse sold out as of Monday afternoon, six days before the back-to-back games featuring four Indiana schools.
This Saturday, December 17th, Butler (4-6) plays Purdue (9-2) at 2 pm EST. Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery are the announcers for this one on CBS. (Eagle will call the Colts-Titans game in Indy on Sunday).
In the late-tip, the undefeated and 18th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (9-0) take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-4) at 4:30 pm EST. This game will be called by the same ESPN crew that called IU’s victory over No. 1 Kentucky, Dan Shulman and the vivacious Dick Viatle.
Although tickets are not available from either school or Ticketmaster.com, there are tickets for sale on the secondary market. As of Tuesday afternoon, StubHub has 111 tickets available with the cheapest ticket listed at $101.
I wrote about Indiana needing a tournament like this two summers ago and I’m glad to see what has developed. Indiana is a basketball hungry state and this tournament should easily sellout each year.
This double-header is presented by ‘Close The Gap,” an initiative to bring awareness to cardiovascular disease.
Older Hoosiers fans have told me how great this tournament was in the Butler Fieldhouse. Great to see it resurrected!