The Classic at Tennessee High School
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The Classic at Tennessee High School, formerly known as The Arby's Classic, is an annual high school basketball double-elimination tournament that takes place during the last week of December, in Bristol, Tennessee. The five-day tournament is held at Viking Hall by Bristol Tennessee City Schools, the governing school board.
Notable participants include East Tennessee State Buccaneers head coach Brooks Savage, and NBA players Mac McClung, Noah Clowney, and Tim Hardaway Jr..
History
The tournament was created in 1983 by William "Bill" Bingham and Dale Burns as the Mountain Empire Classic. AES Restaurant Group, an Arby's franchisee that operated within the area, sponsored the tournament in exchange for naming rights.
In December 2016, the Bristol Chamber of commerce released a study in partnership with AES Restaurant Group stating that the direct economic impact of the Arby's Classic is $1.59 million annually, with a direct impact of $3.4 million. The report also provides an average spectator count of 30,000.
In July 2024, BTCS announced they were renaming the tournament as they were unable to come to an agreement with AES Restaurant Group, citing disagreements over naming rights. AES owner, John Wade, noted that "they decided to end our relationship because they wanted to take our money but they didn't want to call it the Arby's Classic." BTCS revealed in August that Toyota of Bristol became their title sponsor.