NEWARK, NJ – (August 31, 2021) – Prudential Center has announced that it will host the fifth annual Never Forget Tribute Classic, presented by United Rentals on Saturday, Dec. 11. For the first time ever, the event features a doubleheader showcasing men's and women's teams from three high-profile universities: the women's University of Connecticut Huskies will take on the UCLA Bruins at 1 p.m. ET, airing on ABC, while the UConn men's team will face the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at 3:30/4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 - finalized game time to be announced by ESPN at a later date. Games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
Tickets begin at $40 and go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. ET via PruCenter.com/Events/Never-Forget-Tribute-Classic, Ticketmaster.com, and Prudential Center's Box Office. Pre-Sale opportunities for Prudential Center email newsletter subscribers and New Jersey Devils Black and Red Members are available starting on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. ET. To register for the Prudential Center Pre-Sale, fans may click HERE. For Group Opportunities for more than 10 people, contact 973-757-6000 or email GroupEvents@PruCenter.com; for Premium Seating opportunities, visit PruCenter.com/Premium.
St. Bonaventure will have tickets for the doubleheader starting Sept. 10. All of these tickets will be in a designated "Bonnies Section" in close proximity to the team bench. Please check with the SBU Ticket Office beginning Sept. 10 for details.
The day's first matchup is a rematch of a 2019 NCAA Women's Tournament Sweet 16 contest that saw No. 2 UConn defeat sixth-seeded UCLA, 69-61. Previous meetings between the two teams include another Sweet 16 matchup won by the Huskies in 2017. UConn, a record 11-time national champion, comes off a 28-2 campaign that included a trip to their 21st Final Four. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma holds a 1,119-144 (.886) record in 36 seasons as UConn's head coach. Paige Bueckers, who won all but one of the National Player of the Year awards as a freshman last season, headlines the Huskies' roster. UCLA reached the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in program history in 2021. Led by now-11th year Head Coach Cori Close, the Bruins put together a 17-6 season that included an NCAA Tournament victory over No. 14 seed Wyoming in the First Round. UCLA has made seven appearances in the Sweet 16 since 1985, including a recent stretch of four consecutive trips from 2016-19. They advanced to their second-ever Elite Eight in 2018.
The second game pairs two East Regional participants from the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. UConn (15-8) was the No. 7 seed in the East, while St. Bonaventure (16-4) entered as the No. 9 seed in the region. The four-time national champion Huskies are currently coached by Jersey City native Dan Hurley. The 2020-21 campaign marked both UConn's return to the BIG EAST Conference as well as the NCAA Tournament, securing a spot in the field for the first time in five years. UConn previously competed in the Never Forget Tribute Classic presented by United Rentals against Florida State in Dec. 2018. At the helm for St. Bonaventure is two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Mark Schmidt, now in his 15th season. En route to the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Bonnies captured the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament championships in the same year for the first time in program history; they have been ranked in multiple pre-season Top 25 polls.
"We are looking forward to being a part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic this season. It presents an outstanding opportunity for our players to take on a terrific UConn team on a national stage in what will be another highlight of our challenging non-conference schedule. We are playing in some terrific venues this season and Prudential Center adds to that list. This event also brings the added importance of honoring the memory of those lost on 9/11 and we are privileged to keep that tradition and play for an extremely worthy cause," said St. Bonaventure Men's Head Basketball Coach Mark Schmidt.
"It is an honor for us to once again be a part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic as we play a part in supporting an important cause. We will need UConn Nation to make the trip with us to the Prudential Center as we square-off against an outstanding opponent," said UConn Men's Head Basketball Coach Dan Hurley.
For the fifth annual year, the Never Forget Tribute Classic presented by United Rentals will support a charity honoring those affected by the 9/11 attacks. The recipient of support from the 2021 event will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
WME Sports, the sports division of WME, an Endeavor Company, in partnership with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), Prudential Center and Scout Sports and Entertainment, a division of Horizon Media, Inc., created the marquee tournament event and secured nation's leading men's and women's basketball teams to participate. Past teams that have competed in the Never Forget Tribute Classic presented by United Rentals include: University of Notre Dame, Villanova University, Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hall University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Florida, Florida State, Clemson University, University of Connecticut and University of Cincinnati.
