| Crossover Classic | |
| Pixels: | 145px |
| Sport: | College basketball |
| Founded: | 2020 (men and women) |
| Teams: | 4 |
| Country: | United States |
| Venue: | Sanford Pentagon Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
| Website: | Crossover Classic |
| Tv: | ESPN |
| Related Comps: | Battle 4 Atlantis |
| Founder: | Sanford Health |
The Crossover Classic (branded as the Crossover Classic presented by Mammoth Sports Construction for sponsorship reasons) is an early-season college basketball tournament that first took place November 25–30, 2020, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The tournament was originally established in 2020, intending to be a de facto substitute for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament following its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic; organizers invited all of the teams that had been invited to participate that year, but due to withdrawals only two of the originally-invited teams participated. The tournament returned for 2021, this time as a four-team round robin event.
The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas was cancelled due to logistical issues tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the wake of the decision, a representative of the event was contacted by one of the teams' coaches, suggesting that an event could be held at the Pentagon.[1] Attempts were made to invite all of the teams who had originally been slated to compete at the 2020 edition of the Battle 4 Atlantis, with only Duke declining. South Dakota had among the highest rates of new COVID-19 cases per-capita nationwide, but the tournament and venue's association with the local Sanford Health system was stated by organizers as allowing them to "put together a plan to make this a safe environment for all the teams that have committed to playing here."
Creighton, Dayton, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Utah dropped out of the tournament prior to the event. The day before the tournament was scheduled to begin, Wichita State withdrew due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the team, leaving only two of the originally-invited teams left.[2] It was originally planning to admit a limited number of spectators per-game, but on November 23 it was announced that the tournament would be played behind closed doors with no spectators admitted.[3]
The tournament returned for 2021, switching to a round-robin format with four invited teams.[4]
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent(s) | Tournament MVP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | West Virginia | 70-64 | Western Kentucky | Derek Culver | |
| 2021 | Nevada | South Dakota State 102-75 (L), George Mason 88-69 (W), Washington 81-62 (W) | South Dakota State, George Mason, Washington | Grant Sherfield |
The 2021 edition of the Crossover Classic was a round-robin tournament held from November 22-24, played between South Dakota State, Washington, Nevada and George Mason.[5] [6]