ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Four teams that advanced to national postseason tournaments this spring will converge in Annapolis in the fall to take part in the 13th edition of the Veterans Classic men's basketball doubleheader hosted by the Naval Academy.  The pairings for the Wednesday, Nov. 11 games feature USF vs. Saint Joseph's at 3 p.m. and Navy vs. Penn at 5:30 p.m.  CBS Sports Network will televise both games, as it has since the inception of the event.  

Penn and USF reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament while Navy and Saint Joseph's competed in this year's National Invitation Tournament.  The four teams combined for a 93-41 record this past season.
  
The Veterans Classic, held annually on or 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 doubleheader.
 
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.  Tickets will go on sale at a future date.  Please complete the form at the following link to be contacted when tickets are available: Ticket Interest

Navy and Penn have met on 86 previous occasions, which are the most games played by the Mids against a non-Patriot League opponent and the most games played by the Quakers against a team outside of Ivy League foes.  The teams met annually from the 1937-38 through 1992-93 seasons and played against one another in all but three years from 1921-22 through 1992-93.  Penn leads the series by the count of 59-27, but Navy has posted a 5-2 record over the last seven games which includes an 86-78 victory by the Mids 18 months ago in Philadelphia.  This year's game will be the first in the series to be played in Annapolis since the 2016-17 campaign. 
   
Navy posted an overall record of 26-8 last season.  Only Navy's 1985-86 team that advanced to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament and compiled a 30-5 record won more games than the 2025-26 team.  Additionally, Navy posted just the second 17-1 record in Patriot League play to earn the program's first outright regular season title since 1997.  The Mids received their first postseason tournament berth since 1998 as they competed in the NIT for the first time since 1962.
 
"Hosting the Veterans Classic on Veterans Day is one of the great honors for our program, our Academy and our city," said Navy head coach Jon Perry.  "Through our partnership with CBS Sports, we have the opportunity to showcase the values of service, leadership and competition on a national stage while providing a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches and fans who visit Annapolis.  We are excited to welcome South Florida, Saint Joseph's and Penn to the Naval Academy and know they will experience not only a special event but also the incredible hospitality and support of the Annapolis community.  This event is a celebration of our nation's veterans and the game we all love.

"Penn is one of the most respected programs in college basketball and their recent NCAA Tournament appearance speaks to the level of excellence they have achieved.  There are many parallels between our institutions in terms of academics, leadership development and the high standards expected of our student-athletes.  We look forward to the opportunity to compete against a first-class program on a national stage that celebrates the values that make college athletics special."

Penn placed third in the Ivy League during the 2025-26 season with a 9-5 record and won a pair of overtime games in the league tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Penn ended the year with an overall record of 18-12.

Penn joins Princeton (2022), Harvard (2024) and Yale (2025) as Ivy League teams to participate in the Veterans Classic.

"Our program is incredibly honored to compete in the Veterans Classic," said Penn head coach Fran McCaffery. "Visiting the United States Naval Academy is a tremendous opportunity for our players, coaches and staff to experience its inspiring history and tradition firsthand.  We look forward to facing a strong Navy team and representing Penn with pride on the national stage."

The Bulls and the Hawks have met on two prior occasions, with each team winning one game.  USF won the last game played as the Bulls won a 75-62 decision during the 2022 Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
USF won the American Conference regular season title this past season with a 15-3 record and also went on to win the conference tournament.  The Bulls fell to Louisville by the score of 83-79 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to end the season with an overall record of 25-9.

USF is the eighth team from the American Conference to take part in the Veterans Classic.

"The University of South Florida is honored to join the distinguished group of programs that have participated in the Veterans Classic as the event enters its 13th season," said USF head coach Chris Mack.  "We look forward to a great match-up with a St. Joe's program coming off a 24-win season, while also giving our student-athletes the opportunity to visit the U.S. Naval Academy and pay tribute to our nation's veterans and the sacrifices they have made to protect our freedom."

Saint Joseph's tallied a 24-12 record a year ago, which included a 13-5 record during the Atlantic 10 regular season.  The Hawks placed third in the A10 regular season and reached the semifinal round of the conference tournament.  Saint Joseph's would win a pair of games in the NIT before it fell in the quarterfinal round.

The Hawks previously competed in the 2022 Veterans Classic when they lost to third-ranked Houston.  Temple (2015, 2023) and VCU (2014, 2024) also have made multiple appearances in the Veterans Classic.

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

"The Veterans Classic is always a special event," said Saint Joseph's head coach Steve Donahue.  "It gives our student-athletes a different perspective and a greater appreciation for the daily lives of those who serve our country.  It is also an exciting opportunity for us to play a top-level opponent in South Florida. They have won their conference regular season title and won 25 games each in two of the last three seasons and also took Louisville to the final buzzer in the NCAA Tournament last season.  This will be a great early season challenge for our team."

Winners of past Veterans Classic games include Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Houston, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, VCU (2), Virginia Tech and Yale.  Navy has recorded victories against East Carolina, George Washington, Harvard, Pittsburgh and Princeton.  

In the 11 seasons in which a postseason tournament has been held in the same year as the Veterans Classic, 15 teams from the event advanced to the NCAA Tournament with an additional six visiting 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 received 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.  Last year saw Tulsa reach the championship game of the NIT.
 
There have been 42 Veterans Classic players who have gone on to play in the NBA, 15 of whom were selected in the NBA Draft.  Six former Veterans Classic players have won an NBA Championship.
 
Past Veterans Classic Results
2014: No. 15 / 16 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. 23 / 24 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
2025: Tulsa 82, Rhode Island 65; Yale 97, Navy 68
 
Veterans Classic Visiting Team Conference Representation (at the time of the game)
American Conference (8): Temple (2015, 2023), Memphis (2017), Wichita State (2018), East Carolina (2019), Houston (2022), Tulsa (2025), USF (2026)
Atlantic 10 Conference (9): VCU (2014, 2024), Davidson (2019), George Washington (2020), Richmond (2021), Saint Joseph's (2022), Duquesne (2023), Rhode Atlantic Coast Conference (4): North Carolina (2015), Pittsburgh (2017), Virginia Tech (2021), Boston College (2024)
Island (2025), Saint Joseph's (2026)
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 (4): Princeton (2022), Harvard (2024), Yale (2025), Penn (2026)
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 (42)
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, Alex Reese; 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 - Tyler Burton, Jacob Gilyard; Virginia Tech - Sean Pedulla
2022: Houston - Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, Jarace Walker; Princeton - Tosan Evbuomwan; Saint Joseph's - Rasheer Fleming
2024: VCU - Max Shulga
** = won NBA Championship