Third Annual Maggie Dixon Classic Set For Sunday, December 14th

By Madison Square Garden
Posted Wednesday, July 16, 2008

NEW YORK — Madison Square Garden announced today that Rutgers, UCONN, Penn State and Army will participate in the third annual Maggie Dixon Classic on Sunday, December 14, 2008. For the second consecutive season The Garden will host the premier women’s college basketball doubleheader, which will be televised nationally on ESPN U.

Game one features the Scarlet Knights against Army. RU compiled a 27-7 record last year, advancing to the NCAA regional final for the third time in the past four seasons. The Scarlet Knights return three starters and seven letterwinners in 2008-09. Head coach C. Vivian Stringer, beginning her 38th season on the bench, welcomes a local transfer and five All-Americans to the fold.

Connecticut will square off against Penn State in the game two showcase. Tickets for the Maggie Dixon Classic, starting at $15.00, go on sale Friday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m. and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, all Ticketmaster locations and online at www.thegarden.com. The remaining college basketball schedule will be announced at a later date.

On April 6, 2006, the women’s basketball community lost a very young and healthy Maggie Dixon, who died untimely from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Over the course of her six months as head women’s basketball coach at the United States Military Academy she led the program to unprecedented heights. The Black Knights played their first Patriot League Championship and Dixon led her team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. During her stint at Army Dixon, through her passion, energy and love for the female cadets not only inspired the West Point community but also touched the entire nation.

Over 325,000 Americans die every year from Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Madison Square Garden, once again will team up with the Dixon family and the Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Foundation, Inc., who will conduct 1,000 free EKG’s during The Maggie Dixon Classic to help raise awareness of heart related illness and to promote women’s college basketball.

MSG Sports Properties is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P. owned by Cablevision Systems Corporation and includes the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League); MSG Entertainment, which includes concerts and events at Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, as well as the legendary Chicago Theatre; and which manages wholly-owned live entertainment properties including the Radio City Rockettes and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular; MSG Media, which is comprised of television networks MSG and MSG Plus, and MSG Interactive which oversees all company wireless and online initiatives; Fuse, the music television network; and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.