NEWSWIRE : Wooden Classic to Stay at Pond Through 2004

The Wooden Classic has extended its agreement to play at the Arrowhead Pond through 2004, Pond General Manager Tim Ryan said Wednesday.

Duke, Stanford, Auburn and USC will play in this year’s Classic, scheduled Nov. 27. UCLA returns to the Wooden Classic next year.

The inaugural Wooden Classic, in 1994, was a sellout. In three subsequent years with UCLA in the field, the event drew more than 14,000 each time. In 1996, with UCLA absent, the event drew 8,463.

The Classic is no longer the only college basketball doubleheader bearing Wooden’s name. Classic organizers this week announced a complementary event, the Wooden Tradition, to start next year at the new Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Wooden’s alma mater, Purdue, will anchor the Tradition field.