The Dixie Classic featured the “Big Four” universities in North Carolina – Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest – playing basketball in a tournament against four teams from across the country. The tournament was played at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina from 1949 -1960.
The “classic” was the brainchild of Everett Case, then head basketball coach at NC State University.
A point shaving scandal involving players from UNC and NC State brought the tournament to an end in 1961.
William Friday, President of UNC system, was informed of the scandal in 1960 and was told that gamblers had allegedly threatened to harm members of the teams. Friday took action and pressed the chancellors at the other universities to back his decision to discontinue the highly popular tournament. The vintage film shows, in part, Friday making the announcement to end the Dixie Classic basketball tournament.