The newest early-season men's college basketball tournament is the Gotham Classic, which begins in December of 2012. Five teams from across the nation will compete with two moving on to play at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

The format of the inaugural Gotham Classic is unique, in that two high-profile teams will host three games on campus before advancing to New York City. The other three teams in the event will play a home-and-away round-robin, giving each participant four games in this multi-team exempt event.

The 2012 Gotham Classic will take place from Dec. 8 through
Dec. 22.