ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's basketball team is excited to announce the inaugural Doc Sauers Classic for the fall of 2023. The Multi-Team Event, or MTE, includes the Great Danes, Quinnipiac University, and Army West Point. 

As part of the MTE, UAlbany will travel to Quinnipiac on Nov. 19 before hosting Army on Nov. 21 at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, New York. The matchup will mark the first ever game the Great Danes host in the upstate venue, which currently serves as the home arena for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. In addition, the team is excited to welcome the Albany Med Health System as the game's official presenting sponsor.

"As a member of the Albany Med Health System, Glens Falls Hospital is proud to support Capital Region institutions like the University at Albany," said Paul Scimeca, President and CEO of Glens Falls Hospital.  "We are excited to watch UAlbany take on Army in our backyard and it is a great opportunity for our community to come together and cheer on the Great Danes."

Tickets for the historic game are officially on sale and can be purchased by clicking here.

"Doc Sauers is a legend," said UAlbany Head Coach Dwayne Killings. "What he has done for the UAlbany community, but more importantly for the student-athletes that he has mentored and coached, is truly special. He has been and will always be a part of the fabric of this great University. To be able to honor Doc's name, family, and career will be a special night for our program. We hope that the community and all of the program's former players who can make the game will join us."

Killings went on to add "In addition to honoring Doc, we will have a unique opportunity to take our program to Glens Falls as we play in Cool Insuring Arena. As we prepare to open Broadview Center just one week later, we hope to expand our fan base and motivate all to check out our new home as we build towards an America East championship."

In addition to the two games UAlbany will take part in, Army and Quinnipiac will square off against each other on Nov. 17 from West Point, New York. The team with the best overall record following the three games will be crowned the champion of the Doc Sauers Classic.

"I'm extremely grateful for my name to be on this tournament," said Richard 'Doc' Sauers, UAlbany's all-time winningest basketball coach. "I've been blessed to be a part of many UAlbany basketball games and for this tournament to be named after me is so humbling. I'd like to thank Mark Benson and Coach Killings for this honor." 

Sauers was inducted into the UAlbany Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2004, having previously served as the men's head basketball coach from 1955-1997. One of the winningest coaches in the history of college basketball with 702 victories, Sauers led the UAlbany men's basketball program to eleven NCAA and four NAIA post-season tournament appearances.

UAlbany teams under Sauers were always geared toward the postseason. From 1975 to 1995, the Great Danes qualified for 10 NCAA tournaments. In 1993-94, UAlbany established a school record for victories with a 25-3 mark and reached the Division III East Sectional final. UAlbany also qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoffs seven times and won a pair of championships in 1978 and 1989.

Sauers, who retired in March 1997, finished his career with a 702-330 record in 41 seasons. He stands alongside such legendary mentors as Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and North Carolina's Dean Smith in the 700-win club. Sauers achieved that prestigious mark on Feb. 8, 1997, in an 89-71 victory over Bridgeport. He was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and has also been enshrined by Slippery Rock University and the Capital District Sports Hall of Fame.

For questions regarding the inaugural Doc Sauers Invitation, fans can contact the UAlbany Ticket Office by emailing GreatDaneTickets@albany.edu or by calling (518) 442-DANE.

Stay up to date with UAlbany men's basketball by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMBB) and Instagram (@ualbany_mbb) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.