Arizona to Play in Charlotte Tournament

Arizona, Temple, Missouri and North Carolina will comprise the field for the first Tournament of Champions to be played in the new Charlotte Coliseum on Dec. 2 and 3, 1988.

The format is similar to the old Dixie Tournament, which was held in Raleigh in the 1950s and was considered instrumental in developing national interest in Atlantic Coast Conference basketball.

“We are extremely pleased with the caliber of teams we have attracted for the tournament,” said John W. Harris, chairman of the tournament committee, in a prepared statement. “All four teams are nationally ranked in the preseason top 10 this year and should be the leaders in their respective conference races.”

The new coliseum, which will seat 25,000, more than doubles the capacity of the current arena. It will serve as the home of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the new members of the NBA.

Raycom Management Group Inc. is staging the tournament. North Carolina will serve as inaugural host and will host the tournament in 1990. North Carolina State will serve as host in 1989 and 1991.