History

The Tucson Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic remains one of Tucson’s most popular Fiesta Bowl activities.  The first Classic was held in 1974 and featured a unique “double” doubleheader format.  Two of the top collegiate men’s basketball teams were featured in this event annually, with Arizona State hosting the teams in Tempe one night and the University of Arizona playing host in Tucson the following evening with a swap of opponents.  In 1984, the current version of the Classic was born when the format was modified to feature strictly the University of Arizona men’s basketball program and three other top-tier collegiate men’s teams in a round-robin tournament at the McKale Center in Tucson. In 2006, the format was changed again to feature the University of Arizona and one other well-respected collegiate program.