Record crowd set to pack Freedom Hall for historic TBT game between Louisville and Kentucky alumni (2024)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Teams made up mostly of Kentucky and Louisville basketball alumni will face off Monday night at Freedom Hall in pursuit of a $1 million prize.

La Familia and The Ville will bring more than 10,000 people to Louisville's historic arena in the quarterfinals of The Basketball Tournament.As of Sunday, more than 11,000 tickets had been sold, guaranteeing a TBT record. Over the TBT’s 11-season run, the record turnout was 7,202 in Wichita last season.

Louisville's roster is headlined by Peyton Siva, Montrezl Harrell, Chris Jones, David Johnson and more. The Kentucky alumni team is led by Eric Bledsoe, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, and Willie Cauley-Stein.

The winner willadvance to the TBT semifinals in Philadelphia, leaving them two victories from the $1 million winner-take-all prize in the 64-team, single elimination event. The loser is eliminated.

IMAGES | La Familia beats The Ville in an intense TBT matchup in Freedom Hall

It got so intense. It was nearly too intense. A wonderfully competitive game nearly ended with a totally unnecessary brawl. LaFamilia 70, The Ville 61.

Siva joined WDRB in studio Monday morning, confident the game will be a uniquely raucous atmosphere.

"They can expect us to play with a lot of passion and play hard and hopefully do what we have to do to get a win," he said.

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TBT has been viewed in more than 180 countries around the world. Alumni teams have won TBT’s championship the past four summers, with teams representing Ohio State, Marquette, Syracuse, and the University of Buffalo taking home the $1M prize between 2019-2022. TBT is also the home of the Elam Ending, the alternate ending to games where teams play to a target score. The Elam Ending was adopted by the NBA for its All-Star Game beginning in 2022, and is now being used in G League games as part of their overtime format.

Siva said seeing his kids watch him play in front of the Louisville crowd is special.

"We lived over in Europe for quite a bit, and they didn't ... get to see what I meant to the city and what the city means to me," he said Monday.

Jordan Sucher, general manager of The Ville, believes the final attendance count Monday night will be between 13,000 and 15,000. The game will air nationally on FS1, with David Padgett, another former Cardinal, working as an analyst.

Related Stories:

  • How To Watch | La Familia vs. The Ville for spot in TBT semifinals
  • BOZICH | The Ville chases TBT's $1 million prize -- with Rick Pitino in their U of L corner
  • BOZICH | The Ville secures game against La Familia with 83-68 TBT win over Team DRC

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Record crowd set to pack Freedom Hall for historic TBT game between Louisville and Kentucky alumni (2024)
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