On Thursday, Fox Sports announces the creation of the Women’s Champions Classic, a new early-season women’s college basketball event.
The four teams included are UConn, Tennessee, Iowa, and Louisville.
https://twitter.com/FOXSportsPR/status/1758144137591664829
The first edition will take place on Saturday, December 7 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Unlike the men’s Champions Classic, which features four multi-time national champions, the women’s Champions Classic features just two in UConn and Tennessee (though in fairness, those two programs have the most national titles in the history of the women’s tournament). Iowa has been in just two Final Fours and one title game, while Louisville has been to four along with two title game appearances.
Scheduling the Champions Classic on December 7 is some interesting counterprogramming for Fox too. That night, CBS will air the Big Ten Championship for the first time, while other conference title games are airing on various networks. Fox is not one of them.
Fox’s women’s college basketball coverage this season has soared to new viewership heights thanks to Iowa and Caitlin Clark. Without Clark next season, a decline seems likely, but launching the Women’s Champions Classic shows the network’s commitment going forward.
