PHILADELPHIA – For the second straight season, the University of Pennsylvania men's basketball program will host a multi-team event (MTE) at The Palestra over the Thanksgiving weekend as Belmont, Lafayette and Monmouth come to University City for the Cathedral of College Basketball Classic.
 
The four teams will play a round-robin schedule over the weekend with doubleheaders starting at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24; 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25; and noon on Sunday, Nov. 26.
 
Lafayette ended last season one step shy of an NCAA Tournament bid, advancing to the Patriot League Tournament final. The Leopards finished the season with an 11-23 record that included seven PL wins. Lafayette's head coach is Michael McGarvey, a Penn Charter grad whose number was retired at nearby Ursinus College after he enjoyed an All-America career with the Bears.
 
One of the traditionally strong mid-major programs in the country, Belmont makes the trip from Nashville to Philly for this year's event. The Bruins went 21-11 last season including a 14-6 mark in their first season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Under fifth-year head coach Casey Alexander, Belmont has won two Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) regular-season titles, an OVC Tournament title, and were ticketed for the 2020 NCAA Tournament before the event was canceled due to COVID-19. The Bruins also made the Postseason NIT following the 2021-22 season.
 
A power program in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) under head coach King Rice, Monmouth moved to the Colonial Athletic Association prior to last season and went 5-13 in its first season in the CAA. Under Rice, the Hawks were MAAC regular-season champions in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21, and in 2021-22 they lost in the MAAC Tournament final to Saint Peter's who eventually made the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.
 
Ticket information for the Cathedral of College Basketball Classic will be announced at a later date.
 
2023 Cathedral of College Basketball Classic schedule
Friday, Nov. 24
  Belmont vs. Monmouth, 2 p.m.
  Penn vs. Lafayette, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 25
  Lafayette vs. Monmouth, 2 p.m.
  Penn vs. Belmont, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26
  Belmont vs. Lafayette, noon
  Penn vs. Monmouth, 2:30 p.m.