ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy vs. Yale and Tulsa vs. Rhode Island are the pairings for the 12th edition of the Veterans Classic men's basketball doubleheader, slated to be played Friday, Nov. 7 in Annapolis.  CBS Sports Network will televise both games, as it has since the inception of the event.  The Golden Hurricane and the Rams will tip at 6 p.m. and the Mids and the Bulldogs will follow at 8:30 p.m.
  
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 will go on sale Monday August 18 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 a 14-7 advantage in the series with Yale, which began during the 1911-12 season.  The teams last played Dec. 30, 2006, when Yale posted a 74-59 victory in Annapolis. 
   
Navy returns all five starters from its 2024-25 team that advanced to the championship game of the Patriot League Tournament.  The Mids ended the season with an overall record of 15-19 and tied for third place in the Patriot League regular season with a 10-8 record.  Navy returns nearly 90 percent of its scoring from last year's team that closed the season with a 7-2 record in its last nine games.  
 
"The Naval Academy, our basketball program and our partners in the CBS Sports Network are honored to once again play host to the Veterans Classic," said Navy head coach Jon Perry.  "It's a unique opportunity to celebrate service, leadership and the game of basketball.  We look forward to welcoming Yale, Rhode Island and Tulsa to Annapolis to the rich tradition of the Naval Academy and honor those who have served our country in uniform.  The Veterans Classic has annually created a special experience for the players, fans, our loyal community supporters and the national CBS Sports Network audience, and this year's event promises to carry on that tradition.

"We have great respect for Yale and their basketball program.  Coach James Jones has built a consistent winner and one of the more well-respected programs in the country.  To compete against a program of Yale's caliber, in Alumni Hall and part of the Veterans Classic, adds to the significance of the event.  It is the kind of opponent that makes our team better and reflects the level of competition we want to embrace."

Yale has won four of the last five Ivy Madness Tournaments that have been held (there was no tournament in 2020 or '21), including three of the last four (2022, '24, '25), and made corresponding trips to the NCAA Tournament.  This recent span includes a victory over Auburn in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.  The Bulldogs have posted an Ivy League regular season record of 45-11 and an overall mark of 85-39 over the last four seasons.  Yale compiled a 13-1 mark against Ivy League teams as part of a 22-8 overall record in 2024-25.

Yale joins Princeton (2022) and Harvard (2024) as Ivy League teams to participate in the Veterans Classic.

"We are honored to participate in such a special event," said Yale head coach James Jones whose brother, Joe Jones, is the head coach at Boston University.  "The young men in our program will have a great opportunity to gain insight into our armed forces, through the lens of their peers."

Tulsa has won all three previous games against Rhode Island, with those games taking place during the 1999-00, 2000-21 and 2021-22 seasons.  
 
Tulsa posted an overall record of 13-20 last season and finished the American Athletic Conference regular season with a 6-12 record.

The Golden Hurricane are the seventh American Athletic Conference team to take part in the Veterans Classic.

"It's a tremendous honor for our program to compete in the Veterans Classic," said Tulsa head coach Eric Konkol. "Being at the U.S. Naval Academy, surrounded by its rich history, tradition and commitment to service, provides an inspiring experience for our players. On the court, we face a strong opponent in Rhode Island on a national stage early in the season, which only adds to the significance of the event.  It's a special opportunity for our players to grow, represent the University of Tulsa with pride, and gain perspective beyond the game. We're grateful to be part of such a meaningful and memorable competition."

Rhode Island tallied an 18-13 record a year ago, which included a 7-11 record during the Atlantic 10 regular season.  The 18 wins were the most for the Rams since they won 21 games during the 2019-20 season.

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

"It is an honor to be able to bring our program to Annapolis for the Veteran's Classic," said Rhode Island head coach Archie Miller. "The opportunity to visit the U.S. Naval Academy and all it stands for will be a great experience for everyone in our program.  I have a lot of respect for Eric Konkol and what he is doing to rebuild Tulsa.  His success at Louisiana Tech speaks for itself.  The Veteran's Classic will be a good measuring stick for two programs looking to prove themselves early in the season."

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, Princeton and Harvard.  

In the 10 seasons in which a postseason tournament has been held in the same year as the Veterans Classic, 15 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 receive a bid to the event.  VCU won its 2024 Veterans Classic game against Boston College on its way to posting a 28-7 record and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
 
There have been 37 Veterans Classic players who have gone on to play in the NBA.  Five former Veterans Classic players have won an NBA Championship, with a sixth guaranteed in 2025 as either Jarace Walker (Houston, 2022) of Indiana or Aaron Wiggins (Maryland, 2018) of Oklahoma City will earn one in the coming week.
 
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
2024: VCU 80, Boston College 55; Navy 85, Harvard 80
 
Veterans Classic Visiting Team Conference Representation
American Athletic Conference (7): Temple (2015, 2023), Memphis (2017), Wichita State (2018), East Carolina (2019), Houston (2022), Tulsa (2025)
Atlantic Coast Conference (4): North Carolina (2015), Pittsburgh (2017), Virginia Tech (2021), Boston College (2024)
Atlantic 10 Conference (8): VCU (2014, 2024), Davidson (2019), George Washington (2020), Richmond (2021), Saint Joseph's (2022), Duquesne (2023), Rhode Island (2025)
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 (3): Princeton (2022), Harvard (2024), Yale (2025)
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 (37)
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; East Carolina - Tristen Newton
2020: George Washington - Jamison Battle
2021: Richmond - Jacob Gilyard
2022: Houston - Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, Jarace Walker; Princeton - Tosan Evbuomwan
** = won NBA Championship