Xavier University Athletics
Fields Officially Revealed for 2025 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic
05.01.25 | Men's Basketball
Xavier, Clemson, Georgia and West Virginia are in the same bracket.
Charleston, S.C. – ESPN Events has officially announced the field and format for the 2025 Shriners Children's Charleston Classic, set to return for its 17th year at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C.. This year's tournament will be held on November 21 and 23 and will feature two independent brackets, including the first bracket featuring Xavier, Clemson, Georgia and West Virginia.
Matchups, tip-off times, and ESPN network designations for all games will be announced in the coming months. The second bracket will include Boston College, Davidson, Tulane and Utah State.
Xavier is entering its first season under new head coach Richard Pitino and its 13th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. XU finished with a 22-12 record and earned an at-large bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, defeating Texas in a First Four matchup. XU will field an entirely new roster for the 2025-26 season, which can be seen in this roster link.
Xavier defeated UConn in double overtime in the Charleston Classic in the 2019-20 season before falling to Florida in the championship game. The following season, 2020-21, Xavier and UConn became BIG EAST Conference rivals for the first time.
Clemson out of the ACC had a historic run to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2023-24 season. They continued their strong performance this past season, winning a school record 27 games and securing a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Georgia from the SEC was a No. 9 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. West Virginia out of the Big 12 will be led by their new coach Ross Hodge. Hodge led North Texas to the NIT semifinals last year.
Owned and operated by ESPN Events, the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic is in its 17th year. Past Classic champions include Drake (2024), Houston (2023), College of Charleston (2022), St. Bonaventure (2021), and Florida (2019).
The family-friendly event offers teams a week of practice, play, and experiences in and around historic Charleston. The Charleston Classic website offers information on travel packages, tickets, and more. Tickets will be available for purchase after the complete tournament schedule is announced later this summer.
Pre-Sale Signup
For first access to premium seats and the lowest prices, sign up today:
Event Ticket Information - ESPN Events
About Shriners Children's
Shriners Children's improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families' ability to pay, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
Matchups, tip-off times, and ESPN network designations for all games will be announced in the coming months. The second bracket will include Boston College, Davidson, Tulane and Utah State.
Xavier is entering its first season under new head coach Richard Pitino and its 13th season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. XU finished with a 22-12 record and earned an at-large bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, defeating Texas in a First Four matchup. XU will field an entirely new roster for the 2025-26 season, which can be seen in this roster link.
Xavier defeated UConn in double overtime in the Charleston Classic in the 2019-20 season before falling to Florida in the championship game. The following season, 2020-21, Xavier and UConn became BIG EAST Conference rivals for the first time.
Clemson out of the ACC had a historic run to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2023-24 season. They continued their strong performance this past season, winning a school record 27 games and securing a No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Georgia from the SEC was a No. 9 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. West Virginia out of the Big 12 will be led by their new coach Ross Hodge. Hodge led North Texas to the NIT semifinals last year.
Owned and operated by ESPN Events, the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic is in its 17th year. Past Classic champions include Drake (2024), Houston (2023), College of Charleston (2022), St. Bonaventure (2021), and Florida (2019).
The family-friendly event offers teams a week of practice, play, and experiences in and around historic Charleston. The Charleston Classic website offers information on travel packages, tickets, and more. Tickets will be available for purchase after the complete tournament schedule is announced later this summer.
Pre-Sale Signup
For first access to premium seats and the lowest prices, sign up today:
Event Ticket Information - ESPN Events
About Shriners Children's
Shriners Children's improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families' ability to pay, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2024-25 academic year, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
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