Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
The nation’s spotlight shines on Kansas City for a high-profile, three-day celebration that has quickly become one of college basketball’s biggest events. It combines the game’s greatest names of yesterday with some of the top college basketball teams of today.
Honorees:
Seven individuals who have made significant contributions to the game of college basketball will be inducted as the Class of 2008.
Players
Charles Barkley - One of four players to compile 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in his collegiate career
Arnie Ferrin - The only four-time All-America in the history of the University of Utah basketball program
Danny Manning - University of Kansas' All-Time leader in scoring and rebounding, a consensus two-time All-American, and a three-time Big Eight Player of the Year
Coaches
Jim Phelan – One of the game's all-time winners with a record of 830 wins and 524 losses over the course of 49 basketball seasons
Nolan Richardson – The only coach to win a national junior college title, a postseason NIT crown, and the NCAA championship
Contributor
Dick Vitale – ESPN college basketball analyst since 1979 and former recipient of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award
Billy Packer - Lead analyst of CBS' college basketball coverage for 28 seasons and won a Sports Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Sports Personality/Analyst
Teams:
The four regional winners of a 16-team tournament advance to Kansas City
for the two-day, nationally-televised CBE Classic finals at the Sprint Center.
Television:
The Induction Celebration will be televised nationally on ESPNU. All games
of the CBE Classic basketball tournament will be televised on a combination of ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.
Facility:
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame opened October 17, 2007 within the 41,500 square foot “College Basketball Experience” facility at the new Sprint Center arena in downtown Kansas City. The CBE is a state-of-the-art entertainment experience that contains hands-on, interactive basketball activities. It features experiential exhibits that immerse fans in the game of basketball, as well as special tributes that celebrate the history of men’s collegiate basketball. The CBE is operated by the NABC Foundation, the non-profit arm of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The NABC:
The National Association of Basketball Coaches was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary University of Kansas basketball coach, to serve as “Guardians of the Game.” The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men’s basketball coaches. The organization is headquartered in downtown Kansas City, MO.
Tickets and Sponsorship Information:
For more information regarding ticketing and sponsorships, contact Gary Heise of Premier Sports Management at 913-681-6990 ext. 13.