TAMPA - The University of South Florida will face Davidson in the first round of the 2009 Charleston Classic on Nov. 19 at Carolina First Arena in Charleston, S.C.

The Bulls and the Southern Conference Wildcats, who finished the 2008-09 season 27-8 overall, will tip off at 7 p.m., the third game of the first round.

The tournament starts Thursday, Nov. 19 when Tulane takes on Miami (Fla.) at 1:30 p.m., followed by UNC Wilmington facing Penn State live at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. After the USF-Davidson game, LaSalle and South Carolina will square off live at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

The second annual Charleston Classic, a bracket-format tournament, will feature 12 games in three days Nov. 19, 20 and 22. Each team will compete in one game per day, with the two teams that remain undefeated facing off in a championship match Sunday, Nov. 22. The championship game will be televised live at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Take a look at the tournament bracket.

The eight-team field includes Davidson, La Salle, Miami (Fla.), UNC Wilmington, Penn State, South Carolina, USF and Tulane. Four of the teams in the field played in the 2008-09 National Invitation Tournament, including NIT champion Penn State, Davidson, Miami and South Carolina.

The Southern Conference (SoCon) will again serve as the event's sponsoring conference.

In the inaugural Charleston Classic in 2008, Clemson defeated Temple, 76-72, in the championship game. The Tigers, who went on to participate in the NCAA tournament, also defeated Hofstra and TCU in the Charleston Classic, part of a 16-0 start to the season that vaulted Clemson into the top 10 in the polls by January.

The 2008 Charleston Classic was the first event at the brand new Carolina First Arena. Attendance for the six sessions was 12,620, an average of 2,103 per session. The largest crowd was 4,582 on Friday, Nov. 14, for the session that included College of Charleston's season opener against SIU Edwardsville followed by Clemson vs. Hofstra.

Tickets for the 2009 Classic are expected to go on sale in late August. Fans can purchase official hotel accommodations and game tickets by going to www.anthonytravel.com (search Charleston Classic) or by calling 1-888-632-6951. Additional information can be found on the Charleston Classic's official Web site at www.CharlestonClassic.com.

Tournament Schedule
(Davidson will be the home team in each of its games.)