Tournament Set for November 23-24 Televised by Fox Sports
SAN DIEGO (February 28, 2023)—Sports San Diego, producers of the Holiday Bowl and the non-profit organization responsible for driving sports tourism to San Diego, announced today it is teaming up with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals and one of the largest on the West Coast, to create the Rady Children’s Invitational, an annual college basketball tournament that will take place during the Thanksgiving holiday. Featuring four NCAA Division 1 teams from top conferences, the inaugural event is positioned to be one of the premier invitational tournaments in the country.
The Rady Children’s Invitational tips off this year on Thanksgiving Day. The two-day event will be played at UC San Diego’s LionTree Arena (4,000) and games will be televised by Fox Sports. The 2023 field includes the Iowa Hawkeyes (Big Ten), USC Trojans (Pac-12), Seton Hall Pirates (Big East) and the Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12). First day matchups and tip times will be announced in the coming months. The third place and championship games will take place on day 2. Fields for future years will be announced at a later date.
“Sports events have been a pillar of the tourism industry in San Diego,” said Mark Neville, CEO of Sports San Diego. “Together with Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, FOX Sports, UC San Diego Athletics, and Global Sports & Events – we endeavor to produce the very best and most special early season college basketball tournament in the country. San Diego is the perfect place to do this.”
“Whether shooting hoops in the driveway, participating in a pickup game at the court down the street, or watching talented athletes as a spectator, basketball brings families together,” said Stephen Jennings, Senior Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer at Rady Children’s Hospital and Executive Director at Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Rady Children’s is proud to support college basketball and inspire today’s kids to engage in exercise that develops character, encourages teamwork and builds perseverance.”
“FOX Sports is thrilled to build on its relationship with Sports San Diego and showcase the Rady Children’s Invitational for a national audience over the coming years,” said Derek Crocker, FOX Sports, Vice President, Collegiate Sports. “We look forward to adding these elite matchups to our robust college basketball schedule.”
Ticket prices range from $35 to $125 per session. Full tournament tickets will be available. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 31. Fans wanting to receive the first opportunity to purchase tickets are encouraged to visit www.RadyChildrensInvitational.com. In addition, $5 per ticket sold will be donated to Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.
About the 2023 Rady Children’s Invitational Teams:
University of Iowa:
The Hawkeyes have played in 28 NCAA tournaments, eight NIT tournaments, won eight Big Ten regular-season conference championships, and won the Big Ten tournament three times. Iowa has played in the Final Four on three occasions.
USC:
USC has notched 14 conference championships, 20 NCAA tournament appearances, played in five Sweet Sixteen games, four Elite Eight games, and appeared in two Final Fours.
Seton Hall:
Seton Hall has logged 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. They were the tournament runner-up in 1989 and have played in four Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games.
University of Oklahoma:
The Sooners have earned a spot in the NCAA tournament 33 times, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen on 11 occasions. They have appeared in the championship game twice. They have also won its conference championship 14 times.
About Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego:
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families — in our community, throughout the nation and around the world. As one of the largest children’s hospitals on the West Coast and one of the nation’s top pediatric health care systems, we are proud to provide care to more than 90 percent of the children in our region. With so many families depending on Rady Children’s, we rely on our incredible team of more than 1,000 physicians, nearly 1,500 nurses, more than 5,100 employees, and about 500 active volunteers to provide outstanding care and fulfill our covenant to the community. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on donations to support our mission. For more information, visit rchsd.org and find us on Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo.
About Sports San Diego:
Recognizing San Diego is a premier tourist destination, the mission of Sports San Diego, a non-profit 501c3 organization, is to generate tourism, visibility and economic impact for the San Diego region by producing the Holiday Bowl and other outstanding events and experiences for visitors and local fans of all ages.