ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy vs. Harvard and Boston College vs. VCU are the pairings for the 11th edition of the Veterans Classic men's basketball doubleheader, slated to be played Friday, Nov. 8 in Annapolis.  CBS Sports Network will televise both games, as it has since the inception of the event.  The Eagles and the Rams will tip at 6 p.m. and the Mids and the Crimson will follow at 8:30 p.m.
  
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The Veterans Classic, held annually around Veterans Day, honors our nation's veterans and showcases the U.S. Naval Academy.  Each of the visiting teams immerse themselves in the inner workings of the U.S. Naval Academy through guided tours followed by lunch with the Brigade of Midshipmen on the day before the games.  Veterans from all service branches are honored during the course of the Friday night doubleheader.
 
Tickets for the Veterans Classic are now on sale through the Navy Ticket Office at THIS LINK, by either calling or texting 1-800-US4-NAVY or by clicking on the TICKETS tab in the masthead of NavySports.com and then selecting BASKETBALL.  Reserved tickets for the doubleheader in the lower level of Alumni Hall are $40 and upper level general admission seats can be purchased for $25.

Navy holds an 18-3 advantage in the series with Harvard, which began on Feb. 23, 1929.  The teams last played Jan. 2, 2001, when Navy posted a 93-60 victory in Annapolis. 
   
Navy's 2023-24 team was one of the youngest in the country.  The Mids ended the season with an overall record of 13-18 and compiled an 8-10 mark in the Patriot League.  Navy returns four starters and over 90 percent of its scoring and rebounding from last year's team that took a five-game winning streak into its Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal round game at Boston University.  
 
"We are excited to once again welcome a talented field in Boston College, Harvard and VCU to the Veterans Classic," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis.  "Three great basketball programs from strong academic institutions will make this another great showcase for the Naval Academy on the CBS Sports Network as we continue to pay tribute to our nation's veterans."

Harvard has posted a winning percentage of at least .500 in 14 of the last 15 campaigns and in all but two of head coach Tommy Amaker's 16 competitive seasons (the Ivy League did not play any games during the 2020-21 season).  Amaker, the winningest coach in program history, has guided Harvard to at least a share of seven Ivy League regular season titles, four NCAA Tournament appearances and three trips to the NIT.

The Crimson finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 14-13.

Harvard joins Princeton (2022) as Ivy League teams to participate in the Veterans Classic.

"We are truly honored and grateful for this very meaningful opportunity," said Amaker. "The Veterans Classic has always provided outstanding competition and national exposure with CBS Sports, while honoring the Midshipmen and their unwavering service and commitment to our country.  Combined with a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the United States Naval Academy, this event aligns tremendously with our program's values."

Boston College and VCU have met on just one prior occasion.  The Rams came away with a 69-50 victory over the Eagles on Dec. 28, 2013, in a game played in Brooklyn.
 
Boston College compiled an overall record of 20-16 last season.  It was the most victories for the program since it tallied 21 wins during the 2010-11 campaign.  Last season was capped by the Eagles advancing to the postseason for the first time in six years and winning a first-round game in the NIT for the first time since 2011.
 
The Atlantic Coast Conference has seen three of its teams play in prior Veterans Classics.  No. 1-ranked North Carolina played in the second edition of the event in 2015, Pittsburgh followed in 2017 and Virginia Tech competed in the 2021 showcase.

Boston College has previously played games in Annapolis when it faced Navy during the 1958-59, 1961-62 and 1965-66 seasons.

Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk is a Boston College graduate and served in the same role at his alma mater from 1990-97.

"The Veterans Classic is one of the most respected events in college basketball and we are excited to participate," said head coach Earl Grant.  "Not only will we face a high-caliber opponent in VCU, but our program will have the honor of spending a day with the Midshipmen, learning first-hand about the great history and traditions of the United States Naval Academy.  To play at the Naval Academy during Veterans Day weekend will make for a special road trip and experience for our players."

VCU posted a 24-14 record last season and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NIT.   The Rams have compiled 92 wins and made two NCAA Tournament (2021, '23) and two NIT (2022, '24) appearances over the last four seasons.

VCU played in the first game of the inaugural Veterans Classic in 2014.  The 15th-ranked Rams posted an 85-69 victory over Tennessee in the game.  The lone additional game VCU has played in Annapolis was in the 1978-79 season when it lost to Navy.

This is the sixth season in a row and the seventh year overall in which an Atlantic 10 team is playing in the Veterans Classic.

"We're thrilled to be part of this year's Veterans Classic," said head coach Ryan Odom, who was the head coach at Utah State when the Aggies defeated Richmond in the 2021 Veterans Classic.  "I had the opportunity to participate in this event a couple of years ago, and I can't say enough good things about the experience, especially the opportunity for our players to tour the Naval Academy.  We have the utmost respect for Coach Grant and the Boston College program, and it will no doubt be a great test for our team."

Winners of past Veterans Classic games include VCU, Michigan State, North Carolina, Florida, Marquette, Ohio State, Alabama, Maryland, Auburn, Virginia Tech and Houston, with Navy recording victories against Pittsburgh, East Carolina, George Washington and Princeton.  

In the nine seasons in which a postseason tournament has been held in the same year as the Veterans Classic, 14 visiting teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament with an additional four teams competing in the NIT.  This honor roll includes Michigan State, which reached the 2015 Final Four, and North Carolina, which advanced to the 2016 national championship game.  The field for the 2022 Veterans Classic featured Houston and Princeton, both of which advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.  The 2023 edition saw Duquesne advance to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and the College of Charleston also earn a bid to the event.
 
There have been 34 Veterans Classic players who have gone on to play in the NBA.  
 
Past Veterans Classic Results
2014: No. 15 VCU 85, Tennessee 69; No. 18 Michigan State 64, Navy 59
2015: No. 1 North Carolina 91, Temple 67; Florida 59, Navy 41
2016: Marquette 95, Vanderbilt 71; Ohio State 78, Navy 68
2017: No. 25 Alabama 82, Memphis 70; Navy 71, Pittsburgh 62
2018: Wichita State 83, Providence 80; Maryland 78, Navy 57
2019: No. 24 / 23 Auburn 76, Davidson 66; Navy 62, East Carolina 57
2020: Navy 78, George Washington 71
2021: Utah State 85, Richmond 74; Virginia Tech 77, Navy 57
2022: No. 3 / 3 Houston 81, Saint Joseph's 55; Navy 74, Princeton 73
2023: Duquesne 90, College of Charleston 72; Temple 75, Navy 68
 
Veterans Classic Visiting Team Conference Representation
American Athletic Conference (6): Temple (2015, 2023), Memphis (2017), Wichita State (2018), East Carolina (2019), Houston (2022)
Atlantic Coast Conference (4): North Carolina (2015), Pittsburgh (2017), Virginia Tech (2021), Boston College (2024)
Atlantic 10 Conference (7): VCU (2014, 2024), Davidson (2019), George Washington (2020), Richmond (2021), Saint Joseph's (2022), Duquesne (2023)
Big East Conference (2): Marquette (2016), Providence (2018)
Big Ten Conference (3): Michigan State (2014), Ohio State (2016), Maryland (2018)
Colonial Athletic Association (1): College of Charleston (2023)
Ivy League (2): Princeton (2022), Harvard (2024)
Mountain West Conference (1): Utah State (2021)
Southeastern Conference (5): Tennessee (2014), Florida (2015), Vanderbilt (2016), Alabama (2017), Auburn (2019)
 
Future NBA Players to play in the Veterans Classic (34)
2014: Michigan State - Matt Costello, Branden Dawson, Bryn Forbes, Denzel Valentine; Tennessee - Tariq Owens, Josh Richardson; VCU - Treveon Graham. 
2015: Florida - Chris Chiozza, Dorian Finney-Smith, Devin Robinson; North Carolina - Isaiah Hicks, Justin Jackson, Brice Johnson, Theo Pinson.
2016: Ohio State - Keita Bates-Diop, Micah Potter, Jae'Sean Tate; Vanderbilt - Luke Kornet; Marquette - Markus Howard, Sam Hauser.
2017: Alabama - Donta Hall, Herbert Jones; Memphis - Jeremiah Martin.
2018: Providence - David Duke; Wichita State - Dexter Dennis, Jaime Echenique; Maryland - Bruno Fernando, Jalen Smith, Aaron Wiggins.
2019: Auburn - Isaac Okoro.
2021: Richmond - Jacob Gilyard
2022: Houston - Marcus Sasser, Jarace Walker; Princeton - Tosan Evbuomwan