Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Playfly Sports, in conjunction with FOX Sports, recently announced a first-of-its-kind Division I women’s basketball doubleheader, the Coretta Scott King Classic, to be played at the Prudential Center in Newark.
The inaugural event, to be held on MLK Day (Jan. 20, 2025), will featuring four top programs: Baylor, Maryland, Texas, and UCLA. The showcase will air on FOX.
The Coretta Scott King Classic was formed to honor the legacy of Mrs. King and celebrate female empowerment in sports. This is the first time the names of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King have been licensed for a sporting event. The CSKC joint venture partners have partnered with The King Center, founded by Coretta Scott King and currently led by their daughter, Bernice King, to launch this event.
Bernice King, CEO of the King Center, said she is proud that her mother’s legacy will be celebrated.
“My mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, is often thought of and honored as my father’s dedicated spouse and life partner. But she was also a civil and human rights stalwart in her own right,” she said.
“She lived for almost four decades following my father, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination and continued the work to create a humane, just, equitable and peaceful world through ‘Kingian’ nonviolence. She was a leading advocate and activist in the causes of women’s equality and empowerment.”
King said her mom was an early leader in equal rights for women.
“During a time when the recognition of female empowerment is on the rise and the fight for gender equality in sports is beginning to bear fruit, honoring my mother through a women’s college basketball event bearing her name is timely and fitting,” she said. “Her enduring message of love and nonviolence is sorely needed during the challenging times we currently face. I pray the use of her name for this event further fosters the perpetuation of her indelible legacy.”
Dylan Wanagiel, VP, sports properties and special events for HBSE/Prudential Center, said the organizations are thrilled to be a part of the event.
“As women’s sports continues its enormous growth and popularity across the country, HBSE is honored to host perennial powers Baylor, Maryland, Texas, and UCLA for the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic at Prudential Center this Martin Luther King Day,” he said.
“HBSE is incredibly excited to collaborate with Playfly Sports and FOX Sports to attract some of the best women’s college basketball programs in the nation to Newark. Hosting this historic women’s basketball event embodies the spirit of empowerment and equality which Mrs. King championed, as these student-athletes continue to uplift the next generation of leaders, both on and off the court.”
Broadcast nationally on FOX, the games will take place at 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM ET, with matchups of UCLA vs. Baylor and Texas vs. Maryland. Specific matchup time assignments to be announced. Three of the four teams finished inside the top 15 of the 2023-24 Associated Press rankings, while two are projected to be placed in the preseason top 10 and another in the top 15.
Tickets for the Coretta Scott King Classic are on sale now via Prucenter.com, Ticketmaster, and Prudential Center’s Box Office.
