BB&T Classic

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The BB&T Classic, originally the Franklin National Bank Classic, was a Washington, D.C.–based college basketball event held annually from 1995 to 2017. It raised funds for the Children's Charities Foundation, a fund-raising organization that financially supports Washington, D.C.–area charities, and was staged on or around the first weekend in December. Its name changed in 1999 after BB&T acquired Franklin National Bank that year.^[1] Played as a tournament with championship and consolation games from 1995 to 2004, the BB&T Classic was a non-tournament showcase event from 2005 to 2017. A decreasing ability to attract marquee teams and declining fan interest and television coverage led to its demise after the 2017 edition.

Founding

Former ambassador and vice-presidential press secretary Peter Teeley^[1] and Washington, D.C.-area sportswriter and author John Feinstein^[2] organized the Classic in 1995, hoping to raise US$500,000 for the Children's Charities Foundation in the Classic's first year.^[1] Abe Pollin, owner of USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland, agreed to host the Classic there, with an initial commitment of three years.^[1] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the BB&T Classic was a legitimate tournament with national attention that attracted powerhouse teams.^[2]

Venue

The BB&T Classic originally took place at USAir Arena, later known as USAirways Arena, in Landover, Maryland. After the MCI Center, later known as the Verizon Center and then as Capital One Arena, opened in downtown Washington, D.C., in 1997, the Classic moved there. The event remained there for the rest of its existence.

Format

Tournament, 1995–2004

Originally, the event lasted two days and featured four teams, highlighted by local mainstays Maryland and George Washington, accompanied by two nationally recognized programs. The first day consisted of a doubleheader pitting each of the local teams against one of the national teams. The following afternoon, a championship game was held between the two opening-round winners. A consolation game between the two teams who lost in the opening round also took place.

Showcase event, 2005–2017

In 2005, the BB&T ClassicTemplate:'s format was altered due to a declining ability to attract nationally renowned programs, partly because under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules participating teams had to give up two home games in their schedule in order to participate in the tournament. The Classic transformed in 2005 from a tournament into a tripleheader showcase played as a single-evening weeknight event. In 2008 and 2009, it was played as a doubleheader. It returned to the tripleheader format in 2010, but from 2011 through 2014 it was a doubleheader. In 2015, the format again changed, with the Classic consisting of a single game. In 2016 and 2017, the Classic returned to a doubleheader format.

Television coverage

In its early years, the event was broadcast both nationally on ABC and locally on Washington, D.C.'s WDCA. After the Classic changed from a tournament to a showcase event, broadcast television interest in covering it waned, and coverage migrated to cable television. The 2005 and 2006 editions were shown on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic; in later years the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) televised the BB&T Classic. In 2014, Fox Sports 1 and ESPN3 each carried one game. CBS Sports Network televised the lone game played in 2015. In both 2016 and 2017 Fox Sports 1 televised the Georgetown game, while CBS Sports Network carried the George Washington game in 2016 and MASN televised it in 2017.

Demise

In 2006, the NCAA changed its scheduling rules, allowing colleges to play up to four games in an "exempt" tournament (an in-season tournament whose games counted as only one game in a team′s 27-game schedule) every season, rather than in only two "exempt" tournaments every four years.^[2] This made "exempt" tournaments far more popular for major college basketball programs and led to a proliferation of such tournaments.^[2] "Non-exempt" events like the BB&T Classic had difficulty attracting major teams in the new scheduling environment because participating schools not only had to give up a home game (and the revenue it generated) to take part in the Classic,^[2] but also could not play as many games overall as they could if they played in an exempt tournament. By 2011, with few marquee teams participating, attendance had dwindled dramatically at the Classic, raising doubts about its ability to survive.^[2]

The hope of Feinstein and others that the BB&T Classic would serve as showcase for competition among major Washington, D.C.-area college basketball programs was never realized, partly due to cool relations between the local teams and Feinstein's own public criticism of Georgetown for not taking part.^[1] The only area team other than George Washington and Maryland to take part in a BB&T Classic tournament was George Mason in 2004 (the tournament format's final year); after that, the Patriots made four showcase-event appearances between 2005 and 2013 before their participation came to and end. Navy made four showcase appearances, all between 2005 and 2010, while American played only in two showcase years and Howard in only one. The closest the BB&T Classic ever came to fulfilling Feinstein's vision of showcasing Washington-area teams was in 2005, the first showcase year, when an all-local lineup of American, George Mason, George Washington, Howard, Maryland, and Navy took part.

Interest in play by the tournament's two stalwarts, Maryland and George Washington, eventually waned. Maryland played in the first 19 BB&T Classic events, but made its last appearance in 2013 – Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon citing a lack of national television coverage, ever-shrinking crowds, and the loss of a home game as reasons for his team to end its relationship with the Classic^[1] – leaving George Washington as the only team to play in all 20 BB&T Classics through 2014.^[3] By 2014, Feinstein's association with the Classic had come to an end, and with him no longer involved relations between the Classic and Georgetown warmed; that year Georgetown made its first appearance, allowing the Classic to continue to field two major local teams, and the Hoyas took part in the final four editions of the BB&T Classic. However, George Washington did not participate in 2015, leaving Georgetown as the only local participant in what turned out to be a single-game version of the Classic that year.^[4] George Washington returned to the Classic in 2016 but then announced that 2017 was its final year of participation.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The final edition of the BB&T Classic took place on December 3, 2017, with a doubleheader in which George Washington defeated Temple and Georgetown beat Coppin State at Capital One Arena before a crowd of only 6,335 for the two games combined.^[1] The Classic was quietly discontinued, with little apparent notice of its demise by the press or fans.^[1] During its 23-season run, it raised over US$10 million for the Children's Charities Foundation.^[1]

Yearly champions, runners-up, and MVPs

Year	Champion	Runner-Up	Consolation Winner	4th Place	Tournament MVP
1995	UMass	Template:Cbb link	Maryland	George Washington	Marcus Camby, UMass
1996	Maryland	Template:Cbb link	California	Template:Cbb link	Keith Booth, Maryland
1997	George Washington	Maryland	Kansas	Template:Cbb link	Shawnta Rogers, George Washington
1998	Maryland	Template:Cbb link	Stanford	George Washington	Steve Francis, Maryland
1999	Template:Cbb link	Maryland	Illinois	Seton Hall	SirValiant Brown, George Washington
2000	Maryland	Template:Cbb link	St. John's	Michigan	SirValiant Brown, George Washington
2001	Maryland	Connecticut	Template:Cbb link	Princeton	Lonny Baxter, Maryland
2002	Notre Dame	Texas	Maryland	Template:Cbb link	T. J. Ford, Texas
2003	Gonzaga	Template:Cbb link	Template:Cbb link	Maryland	Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga
2004	George Washington	Template:Cbb link	Michigan State	George Mason	TJ Thompson, George Washington
Showcase Format
Date	Game One	Game Two	Game Three
12/5/2005	Template:Cbb link 82 Template:Cbb link 73	George Mason 75 Template:Cbb link 35	George Washington 78 Maryland 70
12/3/2006	Template:Cbb link 60 George Mason 57	George Washington 63 Virginia Tech 62	Notre Dame 81 Maryland 74
12/2/2007	Template:Cbb link 74 Template:Cbb link 70	Template:Cbb link 68 George Mason 65	VCU 85 Maryland 76
12/7/2008	Virginia Tech 79 Template:Cbb link 70	Maryland 76 Template:Cbb link 53	None
12/6/2009	George Washington 81 Template:Cbb link 69	Villanova 95 Maryland 86	None
12/5/2010	Florida 67 Template:Cbb link 48^[5]	Template:Cbb link 64 Template:Cbb link 57^[6]	Temple 64 Maryland 61^[7]
12/4/2011	Maryland 78 Notre Dame 71	VCU 75 George Washington 60	None
12/2/2012	Maryland 69 George Mason 62	George Washington 67 Manhattan 55	None
12/8/2013	Oklahoma 81 George Mason 66	George Washington 77 Maryland 75	None
12/7/2014	Georgetown 78 Towson 46	George Washington 78 Charlotte 70	None
12/12/2015	Georgetown 87 UNC Wilmington 82	None	None
12/4/2016	Georgetown 77 Elon 74	Florida State 67 George Washington 48	None
12/3/2017	George Washington 71 Temple 67	Georgetown 76 Coppin State 60	None

^[8]

Results by school

Team	Appearance Years	Tournament Record	Tournament Championships	Showcase Record	Overall Record
American	2005, 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Auburn	2007 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Bucknell	2006 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
California	1996 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Charlotte	2014 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Connecticut	2001 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Coppin State	2017 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
DePaul	1998 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
East Carolina	2007 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	– Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Elon	2016 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Florida	1995, 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Florida State	2016 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
George Mason	2004–2007, 2012, 2013 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–4 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
George Washington	1995–2014, 2016, 2017 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	10–10 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1997, 1999, 2004 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	7–5 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	17–15 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Georgetown	2014–2017 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	4–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	4–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Gonzaga	2003 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2003 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Howard	2005 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Illinois	1999 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Kansas	1997 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Manhattan	2012 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Maryland	1995–2013 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	13–7 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	3–6 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	16–13 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Michigan	2000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Michigan State	2004 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Mississippi State	1996 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Navy	2005, 2008–2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
UNC Wilmington	2015 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Notre Dame	2002, 2006, 2011 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2002 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	3–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Oklahoma	2013 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Penn	1997 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Princeton	2001 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Seton Hall	1999 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–2 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
St. John's	2000 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Stanford	1998 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Temple	2010, 2017 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Texas	2002 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Towson	2014 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	0–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
UMass	1995 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1995 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	2–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
VCU	2007, 2011 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Villanova	2009 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–0 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Virginia Tech	2006, 2008 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
West Virginia	2003 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	none Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	— Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	1–1 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".