Emerald Coast Classic

This article is about the basketball tournament. For the Champions Tour golf tournament, see Emerald Coast Classic (Champions Tour). For the Korn Ferry Tour golf tournament, see Emerald Coast Classic (Korn Ferry Tour).

The Emerald Coast Classic is an 8 team college basketball tournament held during Thanksgiving of NCAA Division I men's basketball season, with the inaugural tournament beginning in 2014. The two final round games are played on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida. The tournament will be presented by Global Sports.^[1] First and second-round games are played at on-campus sites, with the third round and championship round scheduled Thanksgiving weekend at Northwest Florida State College.^[2]

Emerald Coast Classic

Emerald Coast Classic
Sport	College basketball
Founded	2014
No. of teams	8
Country	United States
Venue(s)	Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College
Official website	Emerald Coast Classic

Tournament history

Tournament champions

Men's

Year	Teams
2014	Ole Miss	North Carolina Central
2015	Iowa State	Chattanooga
2016	Virginia	Texas–Rio Grande Valley
2017	TCU	Tennessee Tech
2018	Cincinnati	Nicholls State
2019	Florida State	Chattanooga
2020	No Tournament
2021	LSU	Samford
2022	TCU	Omaha
2023	Ohio State	Western Michigan
2024	No Tournament
2025

Women's

Year	Teams
2024	Alabama	Creighton

Brackets

* – Denotes overtime period

2024

Women's

The Emerald Coast Classic will be a women's college basketball tournament only for the 2024-25 season with four teams comprised in two brackets.^[3]

Bay Bracket

	Bay Bracket Semifinals November 25					Bay Bracket Championship November 26
		Clemson	90
		UAB	52
							Clemson	39
						23	Alabama	73
	23	Alabama	83
		Alabama State	33			Bay Bracket Consolation November 26
							UAB	76
							Alabama State	43

Beach Bracket

	Beach Bracket Semifinals November 25					Beach Bracket Championship November 26
		Syracuse	82
		Missouri	59
							Syracuse	59
							Creighton	86
		Wichita State	63
		Creighton	91			Beach Bracket Consolation November 26
							Missouri	85
							Wichita State	57

2023

Men's

The tournament took place from November 24 - 25, 2023.^[4]

First Round November 17       22 Alabama 98 Mercer 67

First Round November 19     Ohio State 73 Western Michigan 56

First Round November 17     Oregon 92 Tennessee State 67

First Round November 18     Santa Clara 65 Southeastern Louisiana 63

Championship round

	Second Round November 24 CBSSN					Championship Round November 25 CBSSN
	17	Alabama	81
		Ohio State	92
						Ohio State		86
						Santa Clara		56
	Oregon		82
	Santa Clara		88			Consolation November 25
						17	Alabama	99
							Oregon	91

	Second Round November 24					Championship Round November 25
	Western Michigan		68
	Southeastern Louisiana		67
						Western Michigan		72
						Mercer		66
	Tennessee State		59
	Mercer		60			Consolation Game November 25
						Southeastern Louisiana		77
						Tennessee State		91

2022

Men's

The tournament took place on November 25 - 26, 2022.^[5]

First Round

First Round November 18     California 66 Southern 74

First Round November 21     Clemson 72 Loyola (MD) 41

First Round November 21     No. 25 Iowa 100 Omaha 64

First Round November 17     No. 15 TCU 95 Louisiana–Monroe 60

Championship round

	Second Round November 25 CBSSN					Championship Round November 26 CBSSN
		California	48
		TCU	59
							TCU	79
						25	Iowa	66
		Clemson	71
	25	Iowa	74			Consolation November 26
							California	59
							Clemson	67

	Second Round November 25					Championship Round November 26
	Southern		76
	Loyola (MD)		58
							Southern	78
							Omaha	88
	Louisiana–Monroe		56
	Omaha		63			Consolation Game November 26
							Loyola (MD)	65
							Louisiana-Monroe	64

2021

Men's

LSU, Oregon State, Penn State and Wake Forest headline the field for the 2021 Emerald Coast Classic.^[6]

First-round games played at on-campus sites. Second- and championship-round games played on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida.^[7][8]

First Round

First Round November 18     St. Francis Brooklyn 59 Penn State 74

First Round November 18     McNeese State 46 LSU 85

First Round November 18     Samford 78 Oregon State 77

First Round November 20     North Carolina A&T 63 Wake Forest 87

Championship round

	Second Round November 26 CBSSN					Championship Round November 27 CBSSN
		Penn State	63
		LSU	68*
							LSU	75
							Wake Forest	61
		Oregon State	77
		Wake Forest	80			Consolation November 27
							Penn State	60
							Oregon State	45

	Second Round November 26					Championship Round November 27
	McNeese State		71
	St. Francis Brooklyn		59
							McNeese State	75
							Samford	83
	Samford		77
	North Carolina A&T		75			Consolation Game November 27
							St. Francis Brooklyn	67
							North Carolina A&T	73

2019

Men's

^[9]

Championship round

	Third Round November 28 CBSSN					Championship Round November 29 CBSSN
		Florida State	60
	17	Tennessee	57
						Florida State		63
						Purdue		60
		Purdue	59
	20	VCU	56			3rd Place Game CBSSN
						17	Tennessee	72
						20	VCU	69

	Third Round November 28 CBSSN					Championship Round November 29 CBSSN
	Chicago State		62
	Jacksonville State		71
						Jacksonville State		60
						Chattanooga		63
	Alabama State		56
	Chattanooga		74			3rd Place Game CBSSN
						Chicago State		54
						Alabama State		67

2018

Men's

First and Second Round

First and second-round games were played at campus sites November 10–20, 2018 with the third round and championship round scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, November 23 and 25.^[10]

	November 13					November 19
							Western Michigan	52
		North Carolina Central	51				Cincinnati	78
		Cincinnati	73

	November 17					November 20
							North Carolina Central	63
		Southern	65				George Mason	78
		George Mason	69

	November 10					November 16
							Nicholls State	54
		Southern	53				Baylor	81
		Baylor	80

	November 10					November 20
							Nicholls State	55
		Western Michigan	64				Ole Miss	75
		Ole Miss	90

Championship round

	Third Round November 23 CBSSN					Championship Round November 24 CBSSN
	George Mason		55
	Cincinnati		71
						Cincinnati		71
						Ole Miss		57
	Baylor		70
	Ole Miss		78			3rd place game November 24
						George Mason		61
						Baylor		72

	Third Round November 23					Championship Round November 24
	Nicholls State		77
	NC Central		63
						Nicholls State		62
						Western Michigan		61*
	Southern		70
	Western Michigan		85			3rd place game November 24
						NC Central		83
						Southern		71

2017

Men's

First and Second Round

First and second-round games were played at on-campus sites November 12–21, 2017 with the third round and championship round scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, November 24 and 25.^[11]

	November 18 BTN					November 20 BTN
							Jackson State	45
		Maryland Eastern Shore	43				Maryland	76
		Maryland	96

	November 13 Fox Sports Southwest					November 20 Fox Sports Southwest
							Omaha	66
		Tennessee Tech	63				TCU	99
		TCU	100

	November 14					November 21
							Tennessee Tech	104
		Omaha	71				New Mexico	96
		New Mexico	103

	November 18					November 20
							Maryland Eastern Shore	48
		Jackson State	58				St. Bonaventure	96
		St. Bonaventure	72

Championship round

	Third Round November 24 CBSSN					Championship Round November 25 CBSSN
	New Mexico		67
	TCU		69
						TCU		89
						St. Bonaventure		79
	St. Bonaventure		63
	Maryland		61			3rd place game November 25
						New Mexico		65
						Maryland		80

	Third Round November 25					Championship Round November 26
	Tennessee Tech		86
	Omaha		85
						Tennessee Tech		90
						Maryland Eastern Shore		60
	Maryland Eastern Shore		66
	Jackson State		63			3rd place game November 25
						Omaha		73
						Jackson State		75

2016

Men's

First and Second Round

First and second-round games were played at on-campus sites November 13–22, 2016 with the third round and championship round scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, November 25 and 26.^[12]

	November 13					November 20
							UT Rio Grande Valley	67
		Savannah State	84				Iowa	95
		Iowa	116

	November 13					November 20
							Savannah State	86
		UTRGV	75				Memphis	99
		Memphis	95

	November 15					November 22
							Grambling State	34
		St. Francis Brooklyn	32				Virginia	90
		Virginia	95

	November 19					November 21
							St. Francis Brooklyn	48
		Grambling State	54				Providence	64
		Providence	71

Championship round

	Third Round November 25 CBSSN					Championship Round November 26 CBSSN
	8	Virginia	74
		Iowa	41
						8	Virginia	63
							Providence	52
	Providence		60
	Memphis		51			3rd place game November 26
						Iowa		92
						Memphis		100

	Third Round November 25					Championship Round November 26
	Savannah State		91
	St. Francis Brooklyn		97
						St. Francis Brooklyn		61
						UT Rio Grande Valley		71
	Grambling State		93
	UT Rio Grande Valley		101*			3rd place game November 26
						Savannah State		104
						Grambling State		110

2015

Men's

First and Second Round

^[13]

	November 14					November 18
							Jacksonville State	62
		Alabama State	85				Virginia Tech	71
		Virginia Tech	82

	November 14					November 18
							Chattanooga	63
		Chicago State	64				Iowa State	83
		Iowa State	106

	November 14					November 18
							Jacksonville State	55
		Alabama State	70				UAB	61
		UAB	72

	November 21 Springfield, Illinois					November 18 Springfield, Illinois
							Chicago State	79
		Chattanooga	81				Illinois	82
		Illinois	77

Championship round

	Third Round November 27 CBSSN[14]					Championship Round November 28 CBSSN
	Iowa State		99
	Virginia Tech		77
							Iowa State	84
							Illinois	73
	UAB		58
	Illinois		72			3rd place game November 28
							Virginia Tech	82*
							UAB	77

	Third Round November 27					Championship Round November 28
	Alabama State		58
	Chattanooga		95
						Chattanooga		62
						Jacksonville State		52
	Chicago State		65
	Jacksonville State		68			3rd place game November 28
						Alabama State		66
						Chicago State		64

2014

Men's

First and Second Round

First and second-round games were played at on-campus sites November 20–25, 2014 with the third round and championship round scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, November 28 and 29.^[15]

	November 20					November 23
							Northern Arizona	74
		Southern	38				Ole Miss	80
		Ole Miss	69

	November 22					November 25
							Northern Arizona	53
		Southern	48				Middle Tennessee	65
		Middle Tennessee	66

	November 23					November 25
							Eastern Illinois	53
		North Carolina Central	45				Creighton	75
		Creighton	65

	November 23					November 25
							North Carolina Central	70
		Eastern Illinois	49				Cincinnati	79
		Cincinnati	54

Championship round

	Third Round November 28 Emerald Coast TV[16]					Semifinals November 29 CBSSN[17]
	Middle Tennessee		51
	Cincinnati		69
						Cincinnati		54
						Ole Miss		66
	23	Creighton	68
		Ole Miss	75			3rd place game November 29 Emerald Coast TV
							Middle Tennessee	47
						23	Creighton	57

	Third Round November 28 Emerald Coast TV					Championship Round November 29 Emerald Coast TV
	Eastern Illinois		40
	North Carolina Central		65
						North Carolina Central		40
						Northern Arizona		36
	Southern		63
	Northern Arizona		70*			3rd place game November 29 Emerald Coast TV
						Eastern Illinois		54
						Southern		43

Future Fields

2025 Men's

• DePaul
• Drake
• Georgia Tech
• LSU