Liberty to Play ECU in Hall of Fame Shootout

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday the field of teams scheduled to play in the first-ever Hall of Fame Shootout. The field includes Liberty who will face East Carolina on Dec. 17 at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets. Game times, ticket information and television broadcast details will be released at a later date.

"Liberty is honored to play in such a prestigious event such as the Hall of Fame Shootout," head coach Ritchie McKay said. "This game affords our players the opportunity to play in a tournament-like atmosphere against an exceptional opponent in East Carolina."

The Flames are a part of an exceptional field that also includes Charlotte, North Carolina State, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, as Liberty is one of five teams that played in the postseason last year.

This will be the second time in the last three seasons that Liberty has faced East Carolina as the two teams met in Greenville, N.C. this in 2019 with the Flames defeating ECU 77-57.  This is also the second appearance in the last three seasons that Liberty will participate in a Naismith Hall of Fame event, as the Flames defeated Grand Canyon in the Jerry Colangelo Classic in 2019. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to continue its relationship with Learfield IMG College for sponsorship representation of its portfolio of collegiate events and Position Sports in an event operations and media relations capacity.

The Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout is one event in the Hall of Fame's series of collegiate events, which continues to grow in an effort to celebrate the game outside the museum walls. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to continue its relationship with Learfield IMG College for sponsorship representation of its portfolio of collegiate events. As the health and safety of the athletes, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely in the coming months and provide updates as needed.

"We're very excited to be launching a collegiate event in North Carolina, a state known for its tremendous basketball history," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "Spectrum Center is a fantastic NBA venue in a terrific basketball community, and we're excited to provide this unique opportunity to eight collegiate teams and their fans this fall."

As the health and safety of the athletes, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely in the coming months and provide updates as needed.

About Hornets Sports & Entertainment

Hornets Sports & Entertainment owns the Charlotte Hornets, Greensboro Swarm and Hornets Venom GT, and operates Charlotte's Spectrum Center.  The Charlotte Hornets are a member of the NBA's Southeast Division.  Owned by NBA Legend Michael Jordan, the Hornets organization strives to deliver a relentless attack on the court, an unmatched experience in the stands and a positive impact throughout the community.  The name of the city's original NBA team from 1988-2002, the Hornets moniker returned to Charlotte in May 2014, uniting the rich history of NBA basketball in the Carolinas.  The Greensboro Swarm are the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets and play at the Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.  Hornets Venom GT is the organization's esports team affiliate that joined the NBA 2K League in 2020.  Spectrum Center is the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Carolinas, hosting over 150 sporting events, concerts and family shows annually.  For more information, please visit hornets.com, gsoswarm.com, HornetsVenomGT.com or spectrumcentercharlotte.com.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #BHOFShootout or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.