Report: Louisville, Gonzaga, Providence to Play in 2021 Empire Classic

Louisville, Gonzaga and Providence will compete in the 2021 installment of the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Rothstein reported Oklahoma State backed out of the Legends Classic in order to join the Empire Classic.

This year's Empire Classic will feature Baylor, Michigan North Carolina State and Villanova.

The tournament was originally called the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic before rebranding to the 2K Sports Classic in 2012 and changing to its current moniker in 2019. Along with the rebrand, the Empire Classic began benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project.

While a lot can change between now and the 2021-22 season, the 2021 field is looking strong.

Gonzaga was potentially headed for the No. 1 overall seed in the 2020 NCAA tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the NCAA to cancel the remainder of the season.

Louisville made progress in Chris Mack's second season as head coach. The Cardinals won 24 games, four more than 2018-19 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Providence was on the March Madness bubble after posting a 19-12 record. The Friars reeled off six straight victories heading into the Big East tournament. While they missed out on the Big Dance in 2018-19, they were among the 68-team field in each of the previous five years.

In Stillwater, head coach Mike Boynton is still working to get Oklahoma State back to the level the program enjoyed under Eddie Sutton and Travis Ford. The Cowboys were 18-14 in his third season.

The Zags will be looking to make a strong impression. The lack of competition in the West Coast Conference places a premium on Gonzaga's nonconference games in terms of impressing the selection committee come March.