
After 25 Years, ESPN Stays True to Jimmy V's Mission With Classic at MSG Doubleheader with No. 12 Texas Tech-No. 2 Louisville and Indiana-UConn takes place tonight By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 - 10:47 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
One year after Jim Valvano's inspirational speech and untimely death, ESPN launched an annual basketball showcase in 1994 to honor his life, legacy, and constant support for those suffering from cancer. The network's commitment to the late coach is still strong and continues with tonight's 25th Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The coverage will feature two C360 cameras (with a standalone camera feed on ESPN3), an onsite edition of College GameDay, and extracurricular content that will tug at the heartstrings.
It's a special project at ESPN, and it truly takes a dedicated team, says Erin Orr, remote operations manager, ESPN. We have numerous people throughout different departments that make the overall project successful.
The Technological Push: C360 Gets Top Billing
Heading the list of technology deployed is the C360, a camera system that allows up to 180 degrees of coverage. As a new addition to the game, one of the robotic cameras will be located beneath each basket, providing both live and enhanced replay shots.
All action in view will be available for documentation, notes Doug Holmes, director, ESPN. Recordings can be manipulated immediately after the fact to show what needs to be shown with full control of framing throughout.
These angles will be incorporated into the main telecast on ESPN, but, for those who have come accustomed to ESPN's alternative viewing options, ESPN3 will host a dedicated game feed derived from the two C360 cameras.
Inside Game Creek's Madison truck, Eric Mosley, producer, ESPN, and approximately 75 other crew members will control two above-the-rim cameras, six Marshall POVs, and a mid-court handheld, along with the typical camera complement.
The Appetizer: College GameDay Sprinkles Final Touches Before Tipoff
As in 2018, College GameDay is making the trip to the Big Apple for the special night. The on-air team of host Rece Davis and analysts Jay Bilas, LaPhonso Ellis, and Seth Greenberg will set the table 30 minutes before tipoff and provide news and analysis between games.
Orr and the crew working the games are hosting the College GameDay crew within the Game Creek Madison truck.
It was a combined effort to supply help for each broadcast, she says. The truck will be busy, but communicating in advance and throughout the day will make transitions seamless. Our relationship with GameDay is important to us. Therefore, we work hard together to ensure each group's needs are met and executed to the best of our abilities.
A Survivor Story: Special Wrap-Around Content
The Jimmy V Classic is sometimes known for the intriguing matchups on the floor, but it's known mostly for the heart-wrenching segments produced by ESPN's features team.
This year's docket will offer a monologue about pediatric-cancer awareness from ESPN pioneer and Valvano's friend Dick Vitale (a Jimmy V Classic staple) and messages from the players and coaches of all four participating teams.
On a more personal level, fans will learn about the journey of two current college basketball players who have dealt with cancer firsthand. University of Texas Men's Basketball redshirt sophomore Andrew Jones, a recent survivor of leukemia, and Syracuse University Women's Basketball senior Tiana Mangakahi, a recent survivor of breast cancer, will tell their stories of hardship and eventual recovery.
Out in Storrs: No. 4 UConn Hosts No. 15 Notre Dame for Women's Game
Following last year's showdown in South Bend, IN, the Fighting Irish traveled to the Northeast last Sunday to face the Huskies at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT. The 81-57 UConn victory was showered with notable bits and pieces as well. With Game Creek's 94 production truck parked in front of Gampel, nearly 40 onsite staffers (led by Kerry Callahan, producer, ESPN) operated the standard five-hard-camera setup. Six Marshall POVs were distributed around the arena.
As is planned for tonight's doubleheader, the game also included a good amount of off-the-court material. Also promoting cancer research, the women's game featured a vignette of former ESPN anchor and current Good Morning America personality Robin Roberts and her courageous defeat over her illness.
On the floor, legendary Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw joined a long list of familiar names (Magic Johnson, Damian Lillard, Victor Cruz, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Anna Wintour, Kim Kardashian West, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan) in the Kicks To Beat Cancer campaign. Drawing on the love of sneakers, authentic merchandise, and, more important, the search for a cure for cancer, the game-worn and autographed shoes are being auctioned on eBay with proceeds benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
A Network-Wide Affair: Other Properties Promote Cancer Research
In addition to the coverage of tonight's Classic, ESPN has involved other members of its family during V Week leading up to this year's contests.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, Stuart Scott Day was declared to pay homage to a network stalwart and a dear friend who fought valiantly against cancer. ESPN's family of channels offered Scott's colleagues recalling his character, love for life, and courageous attitude during the toughest fight of his life.
On the same night, ESPN followed its yearly tradition of airing Valvano's famous ESPY speech in its entirety over its airwaves. At 7 p.m. ET, the 15 minutes of airtime was played simultaneously on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN3, ESPN Dep
Most recent headlines
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...