LSU MBB to face elite mid-major in Emerald Coast Classic
The LSU Tigers will take on Drake in the opening round of the 2025 Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament in Niceville, Florida Nov. 28-29, 2025.
Georgia Tech and DePaul are the other two teams meeting in the opening round at Raider Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College.
DePaul will face Georgia Tech in a semifinal round game at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 28, while Drake will play LSU at 8:30 p.m. The third-place game will be played at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29 with the championship game to follow on that Saturday.
Both of the semifinal round games as well as the championship game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
LSU will be making its second appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic, claiming the 2021 title after beating Wake Forest, 75-61, in the championship.
Drake is coming off a school-record 31-win season, sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles along with a trip to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Georgia Tech, under third-year coach Damon Stoudamire, posted a 17-17 record last season, advancing to the National Invitational Tournament.
In his inaugural year as head coach Chris Holtmann guided DePaul to the first round of the 2025 College Basketball Crown, marking the school’s first appearance in the postseason tournament since the 2018-19 season.
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The tournament is presented by Global Sports, which has produced 57 multi-team college basketball tournaments since 2007. Tickets will go on sale for the tournament later this summer.
For more information visit the tournament website www.emeraldcoastclassic.com
A look at the field
Both of the semifinal round games as well as the championship game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
LSU will be making its second appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic, claiming the 2021 title after beating Wake Forest, 75-61, in the championship. Matt McMahon enters his fourth year as head coach welcoming an incoming transfer class that is ranked No. 16 by 247sports.
Drake is coming off a school-record 31-4 mark, sweeping the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles along with a trip to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Eric Henderson was named the school’s 31st head coach March 28.
Georgia Tech, under third-year coachDamon Stoudamire, posted a 17-17 record last season, advancing to the National Invitational Tournament.
In his inaugural year as head coach Chris Holtmann guided DePaul to the first round of the 2025 College Basketball Crown, marking the school’s first appearance in the postseason tournament since the 2018-19 season. Holtmann led Ohio State to the 2023 Emerald Coast Classic championship.
Emerald Coast Classic History
2023 — Ohio State, champion; Santa Clara, runner-up
2022 — TCU, champion; Iowa, runner-up
2021 — LSU, champion; Wake Forest, runner-up
2019 — Florida State, champion; Purdue, runner-up
2018 — Cincinnati, champion; Ole Miss, runner-up
2017 — TCU, champion; St. Bonaventure, runner-up
2016 — Virginia, champion; Providence, runner-up
2015 — Iowa State, champion; Illinois, runner-up
2014 — Ole Miss, champion; Cincinnati, runner-up
