NC State basketball will play in Jimmy V Women’s Classic for first time since 2020

Fresh off its 2024 Final Four appearance, the N.C. State women’s basketball team announced this week it would participate in this season’s Jimmy V Classic.

The Wolfpack will play on the road against Louisville on Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. The game will serve as the ACC opener for both programs. Tickets for N.C. State’s game will be sold and managed by the Louisville athletic department.

“We’re super excited and honored to play in the Jimmy V Women’s Classic,” head coach Wes Moore said in a statement. “Coach [Jim] Valvano will always be near and dear to N.C. State. He was an inspiration to all, and he continues to be through his impact with the V Foundation and their fight against cancer.”

This is the fifth time N.C. State has participated in the Jimmy V Women’s Classic. The Wolfpack previously faced UConn in 2002, Texas in 2003, Tennessee in 2004 and South Carolina in 2020.

This will be the program’s first away game when playing in the event and it seeks its second win. The Wolfpack upset the then-No. 1 ranked Gamecocks, 54-46, in Columbia.

N.C. State and Louisville are tied in the all-time series at eight games each, but the Wolfpack has won five straight contests.

Most recently, the team pulled off a 77-67 win in February after Aziaha James scored 28 points and shot 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Madison Hayes contributed a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in the victory. Both players return for the 2024-25 season.

The Pack is listed at No. 8 and the Cardinals at No. 12, respectively, in ESPN’s “Way-too-Early” rankings.

“We are excited to have been selected for the Jimmy V Women’s Classic,” Cardinals head coach Jeff Walz said in a statement. “This event is a great showcase for women’s basketball and a great opportunity to support the V Foundation.”

The N.C. State men’s team has not participated in the Jimmy V Classic since 2012. This year, Miami faces Tennessee and Arkansas plays Michigan on the men’s side.

The annual Jimmy V Classic is named for former Wolfpack men’s basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster Jim Valvano. It raises money and awareness for the V Foundation, which funds cancer research. The women’s edition of the event debuted in 2002, while the men’s showcase began in 1995.

The Jimmy V Classic is part of ESPN’s V Week programming, which works to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. Its partnership has helped raise $236 million for the V Foundation since 1993, and $89 million in the past 17 years.

Valvano led the Wolfpack to two ACC Championships (1983, 1987), and the 1983 NCAA title.