The Wooden Legacy logo.
While the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., is most known for hosting the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, it has become a hub for college basketball. The arena has hosted NCAA Tournament games, several UCLA home games per year and an in-season tournament — the John R. Wooden Classic.
Earlier this month, Honda Center announced it will beef up its basketball schedule by hosting the Wooden Legacy tournament during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The eight-team tournament will combine the John R. Wooden Classic with the Anaheim Classic, which had previously been hosted by the Anaheim Convention Center.
The opening rounds on Nov. 28 and 29 will be held on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Honda Center will hold the following rounds and championship on Dec. 1.
The tournament will be broadcast across ESPN’s networks.
“Having a national partner like ESPN for arguably one of the greatest names in the history of college basketball is a great thing for us moving forward,” Honda Center President and CEO Tim Ryan said. “The fact that we will have a national footprint for this event right away is a huge step up.”
Honda Center, Cal State Fullerton and ESPN agreed to a four-year deal to broadcast the tournament. ESPN has rights to college basketball’s regular season and conference tournaments.
“The fact that we’re looking at a four-year agreement with ESPN will allow us enough time to grow the reputation of this event and create momentum going forward,” Ryan said. “We’re not looking for a quick fix or instant success, but we think we’re going to build it every year.”
The Wooden Legacy, which first tipped off in 1994 as a way to pay tribute to the legendary UCLA coach, will now feature a field of teams from across the country including successful programs Marquette, Arizona State, Miami and George Washington.
ESPN will play the main role in selecting which teams will play in the Wooden Legacy.
“There’s no shortage of teams that want to go to Southern California,” Clint Overby, senior director of Events for ESPN’s Regional Television Network, said. “It’s a great recruiting ground, it has great weather, it has a great basketball marketplace. Bringing in teams has never been a challenge for us.”
ESPN has made major investments in tournaments like the Wooden Legacy, in part because they are logistically easier than sending crews to eight different cities, but also in terms of marketing their coverage.
“The tournaments work on multiple levels,” Overby said. “It works for the fans because it brings great teams together, it works for TV because of the matchups and it works for the schools who come out here early in the season and can find out what their team is made of.”
Tournament officials will look to John Wooden’s former club UCLA to act as a major draw. The Bruins will participate in the tournament in 2016 and, per NCAA rules, will be allowed to participate once every four years.
Honda Center has played host to UCLA home games in the past. Ryan said their relationship with the legendary program will significantly enhance the tournament.
“They’ve embraced this format and want to make sure they’re part of the event going forward,” Ryan said. “They’ve been a great partner over the years. Like the Wooden family, UCLA has been part of the discussions from Day One.”
Ryan said Honda Center will continue to grow in the basketball arena, in part because of a high level of interest in the market.
“You look at the universities around us,” he said. “There are hundreds of thousands of students and alumni here in Orange County. There are a number of other factors, but that’s certainly one that keeps us interested in listening to anyone who wants to put on a basketball event here.”
Interviewed for this story: Tim Ryan, (877) 945-3946; Clint Overby, (860) 766-2798