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December 9 men’s doubleheader to close Jimmy V Week which Benefits The V Foundation for Cancer Research

Four historic college basketball programs — Indiana, Louisville, Maryland and Villanova – will participate in the 20th annual Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 9. ESPN will televise both games from New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, beginning with Villanova vs. Maryland at 7 p.m. ET followed by Indiana vs. Louisville at 9 p.m.

The early-season event will conclude the eighth annual Jimmy V Week, a weeklong initiative across multiple ESPN platforms and programs featuring special content to help raise funds for cancer research. In seven years, Jimmy V Week has generated $8,246,000 in total contributions for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, including a record-setting number of $1,827,000 in 2013.

Each game will include a defending conference champion that participated in the 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and lost to an eventual Final Four team: Defending BIG EAST regular-season champion Villanova, a two-seed in the NCAA Championship, lost to Connecticut while American regular-season co-champion and conference champion, Louisville, lost to Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen.

Villanova vs. Maryland at 7 p.m.: Villanova has defeated Maryland in four of the five all-time meetings. Maryland, making its Big Ten Conference debut next season, will make its first appearance in the Jimmy V Classic. Villanova will play in its third Jimmy V Classic, losing the previous two games: 67-58 to Texas in 2008 and 81-71 to Missouri in 2011.

Indiana vs. Louisville at 9 p.m.: Indiana holds a 10-6 record over Louisville, but lost the last meeting between the teams in 2003. Indiana has won its previous two Jimmy V Classic games, defeating North Carolina 82-73 in 1999 and Pittsburgh 64-54 in 2009. Louisville, making its Atlantic Coast Conference debut next season, will play in its second Jimmy V Classic after losing to Arizona 72-65 in 2006.

Tickets for the Jimmy V Classic will go on sale at a later date this fall.  Ticket prices range from $15-$275 and will be available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, Ticketmaster charge by phone at (866) 858-0008 and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

About The V Foundation
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has funded more than $115 million in cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations to cancer research and related programs. Due to generous donors, the Foundation has an endowment that covers administrative expenses.  The Foundation awards peer-reviewed grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes two Labor Day weekend college football games; 11 college bowl games and eight college basketball events, which accounts for approximately 200 hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over a half a million attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football
AdvoCare Texas Bowl (Houston); AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada);  St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida) and The Home Depot College Football Awards (Orlando, Fla.) 

Collegiate Basketball
Armed Forces Classic (US Air Station Borinquen, PR); Charleston Classic Presented by Gildan (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); Jimmy V Men’s & Women’s Basketball Classics (New York City & South Bend, Ind.); Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan, PR) and State Farm Champions Classic (Indianapolis)

For more information, visit www.espnevents.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.

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