Garden State Hardwood Classic Extended Through 2026
5/9/2018 11:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball
South Orange, N.J. - The contract for the Garden State Hardwood Classic, which pits Seton Hall and Rutgers against one another in men's basketball for top bragging rights in New Jersey, has been extended through the 2026 season. The two programs have met every season since 1996 and first originally met in 1916.
The Garden State Hardwood Classic was created in 2014 to help showcase the Seton Hall-Rutgers rivalry, which blossomed immensely during the 1990s and 2000s when both teams played in the BIG EAST Conference. The winner of the game receives the 32-inch, 33-pound Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy, which was erected on a farm in Cumberland County, N.J. by Colin Pezzano consisting primarily of recycled Asbury Park boardwalk planks that were recovered in the rebuilding process that followed Superstorm Sandy. The main structure was carved out to replicate the physical layout of the state of New Jersey and is set in a base that resembles the features of a basketball. The numbers "1916" were engraved in the wooden structure as well, honoring the year in which the teams first met, while the athletics logos of the respective programs have been included in a position that corresponds to their geographic location. The winning school each year also receives its name engraved on the back of the trophy.
In addition, each year, the Garden State Hardwood Classic selects a Most Valuable Player of the game to receive the Joe Calabrese Award, which honors the late New Jersey sportswriter who covered college basketball for decades.
The Garden State Hardwood Classic has attracted big crowds over the last two seasons with Seton Hall drawing a sold-out crowd of 10,481 to Prudential Center in 2016 and Rutgers drawing a capacity crowd of 8,318 in 2017. The 2018 edition of the series will emanate from Prudential Center at a date to be determined.
Seton Hall leads the all-time series over Rutgers, 39-30, including wins in four of the last five seasons. The four-game winning streak in the series between 2013 and 2016 included the Pirates winning by an average margin of 18.3 points. Since 1996, which is when Rutgers joined the BIG EAST Conference and the two teams began playing each other regularly, the Pirates own a 24-16 advantage in the series.
Seton Hall is established as the elite men's college basketball program in the state of New Jersey. The Pirates have earned NCAA Tournament bids in each of the last three seasons, the only New Jersey school to go to three straight NCAA Tournaments in the 21st century. The Pirates are 164-61 (.729) all-time against the other seven Div. I college basketball schools in New Jersey.
The Garden State Hardwood Classic was created in 2014 to help showcase the Seton Hall-Rutgers rivalry, which blossomed immensely during the 1990s and 2000s when both teams played in the BIG EAST Conference. The winner of the game receives the 32-inch, 33-pound Garden State Hardwood Classic trophy, which was erected on a farm in Cumberland County, N.J. by Colin Pezzano consisting primarily of recycled Asbury Park boardwalk planks that were recovered in the rebuilding process that followed Superstorm Sandy. The main structure was carved out to replicate the physical layout of the state of New Jersey and is set in a base that resembles the features of a basketball. The numbers "1916" were engraved in the wooden structure as well, honoring the year in which the teams first met, while the athletics logos of the respective programs have been included in a position that corresponds to their geographic location. The winning school each year also receives its name engraved on the back of the trophy.
In addition, each year, the Garden State Hardwood Classic selects a Most Valuable Player of the game to receive the Joe Calabrese Award, which honors the late New Jersey sportswriter who covered college basketball for decades.
The Garden State Hardwood Classic has attracted big crowds over the last two seasons with Seton Hall drawing a sold-out crowd of 10,481 to Prudential Center in 2016 and Rutgers drawing a capacity crowd of 8,318 in 2017. The 2018 edition of the series will emanate from Prudential Center at a date to be determined.
Seton Hall leads the all-time series over Rutgers, 39-30, including wins in four of the last five seasons. The four-game winning streak in the series between 2013 and 2016 included the Pirates winning by an average margin of 18.3 points. Since 1996, which is when Rutgers joined the BIG EAST Conference and the two teams began playing each other regularly, the Pirates own a 24-16 advantage in the series.
Seton Hall is established as the elite men's college basketball program in the state of New Jersey. The Pirates have earned NCAA Tournament bids in each of the last three seasons, the only New Jersey school to go to three straight NCAA Tournaments in the 21st century. The Pirates are 164-61 (.729) all-time against the other seven Div. I college basketball schools in New Jersey.
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