Tipoff set for 8 p.m. CT Friday live on pay-per-view via iNDEMAND and PPV.COM
FRISCO, Texas (Oct. 24, 2022) - Powerhouse college basketball programs Gonzaga and Tennessee, both of whom have high expectations as the 2022-23 season draws near, will play in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic, a charity exhibition game on Friday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game is set for 8 p.m. CT and iNDEMAND – the largest distributor of PPV and on demand programming in North America – will serve as the exclusive streaming and TV distributor of the event. Proceeds from the event will benefit the McLendon Foundation.
iNDEMAND will carry the game in the U.S. and Canada through cable, satellite, and telco PPV providers and will also make the event available worldwide on its streaming service PPV.COM, the first PPV streaming service to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports events. Customers can also order the event on TV through their cable, satellite, or telco providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV, Contour, Dish, Verizon Fios, Altice, and other leading providers. The suggested retail price is $9.99 on all PPV platforms.
“Not only is this a chance to see two outstanding college basketball teams and Final Four contenders, Gonzaga and Tennessee, early in the year, but the game is also being played for a great cause,” said Fran Fraschilla, longtime college basketball analyst and former head coach who will work the telecast. “This game will recognize many of the incredible contributions that Hall of Fame coach John McLendon has made to the game of basketball and will directly benefit the McLendon Foundation.”
Fraschilla is part of the broadcast trio calling Friday’s game, which also includes longtime Gonzaga radio play-by-play voice Tom Hudson and former Tennessee standout and current college basketball analyst Dane Bradshaw. Throughout the game, veteran reporter Andy Katz will host an interactive live chat with viewers exclusively on PPV.COM. Viewers who purchase the event on PPV.COM will also be able to post fan-react videos during the game.
Tennessee returns four of its top-five scorers from last season’s team that finished 27-8 overall, won the SEC Tournament and made a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The AP preseason poll released on Oct. 17 has the Volunteers ranked No. 11 in the country.
The McLendon Foundation was established in 1999 by National Association of Collegiate Directors of America (NACDA) to honor the legacy of Hall of Fame coach John McLendon who was a pioneer in the field of athletics, the game of basketball, and the civil rights arena. The McLendon Foundation’s mission is to empower and develop minorities who aspire to be principled leaders in athletics administration by providing educational resources and access to a life-long community of mentors. All organizational planning for the Foundation directly aligns with the values of Coach McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership and Mentorship. More information can be found at www.minorityleaders.org.
Gonzaga Preseason Quick Facts | Tennessee Preseason Outlook
HOW TO WATCH ‘LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL CLASSIC’ ON PPV
FRIDAY, OCT. 28 AT 9 PM ET/ 8 PM CT
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $9.99
Online/Streaming: PPV.COM (no subscription needed)
TV: Available to order through major cable & satellite systems, including Xfinity,
Spectrum, Contour, DIRECTV (channel 118), Dish (channel 461), Verizon Fios, Altice and others
In Knoxville: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
In Nashville: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
In Chattanooga: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
In Memphis: Xfinity channel 1201, Spectrum channel 2100
In Spokane: Xfinity channel 1201
In Seattle: Xfinity channel 1201
Gonzaga Quick Facts Tennessee
Spokane, WA Location Knoxville, TN
1887 Year Founded 1794
71 Basketball Seasons 113
WCC Conference Affiliation SEC
1758-1103 (.613 winning %) All-time Record 1692-1075 (.649)
28-4 2021-22 Overall Record 27-8
24 NCAA Tournament Berths 24
Mark Few – 24th year Head Coach - years at school Rick Barnes – 8th year
Bulldogs School Nickname Volunteers
2 Preseason AP top 25 ranking 11
Volunteers top returning scorers:
Santiago Vescovi – G – 13.3
Josiah-Jordan James – G – 10.3
Oliver Nkamhoua – F – 8.6
Zags top returning scorers:
Drew Timme – F – 18.4
Julian Strawther – G- 11.8
Rasir Bolton – G- 11.2
Broadcast team for Legends of Basketball Classic:
Tom Hudson – play-by-play & host
Dane Bradshaw – game analyst
Fran Fraschilla – game analyst
PPV.COM chat moderator:
Andy Katz
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Media Contacts:
Dan Mihalik, Intersport, dmihalik@intersport.global
Jenny Snegaroff, iNDEMAND & PPV.COM, jsnegaroff@indemand.com
Tom Satkowiak, Tennessee Athletics, tomsid@tennesse.edu
Barrett Henderson, Gonzaga Athletics, hendersonb@gonzaga.edu
Julio Manteiga, NBRPA, jmanteiga@legendsofbasketball.com
Julie Hammer, McLendon Foundation, julie.hammer@mettleandrise.com