Iowa, Cincinnati to Play in Chicago in 2019

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa men’s basketball team has signed a contract to play the University of Cincinnati as part of the Chicago Legends next season.
 
The Hawkeyes and Bearcats will play on a neutral court at the United Center in Chicago on Dec. 21, 2019, as part of a four-team men’s college basketball doubleheader. Dayton will face Colorado in the other contest.
 
“We are excited to return to the United Center and play in front of our tremendous alumni base in Chicago,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “We look forward to playing Cincinnati, who is one of the premiere teams in the country.
 
“If you look at our schedule in 2019-20, we will play 20 Big Ten games, two Challenge contests (ACC/Gavitt), Iowa State, Cincinnati, and an MTE (multi-team event). It will be a challenge, but that’s what you sign up for when you come to play at The University of Iowa.”
 
Iowa and Cincinnati have played eight previous times, with the last contest coming in the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis.
 
“We are proud to welcome back this impactful basketball event to Chicago,” said Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperLesnik, a Chicago-based sports marketing, events, public relations and content marketing agency that will produce the event and also manages the Maui Jim Maui Invitational and CBS Sports Classic. “The tradition of basketball in Chicago is second to none. Our goal is to honor the city’s most heralded players while featuring today’s fantastic talent right here at home.”
 
Each of the 2019 teams has advanced to the NCAA Tournament at least twice in the past four seasons. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in 2019.