Oscar Robertson Goes to Dixie

Oscar Robertson was the greatest college basketball player of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the game. In December 1958 he was at the peak of his playing prowess. As one of the highest ranked squads in the country, his team, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, was invited to play in the era’s premiere holiday basketball tournament. There was just one problem: Robertson was black, and the tournament was the Dixie Classic, held in the still-segregated South.

Each year the Dixie Classic featured UNC, N.C. State, Duke, Wake Forest, and four visiting squads for some of the best hoops action of the year. Prior to 1958, the tournament had been basically an all-white affair. “Oscar Robertson Goes to Dixie” takes you back to that exciting tournament during a pivotal time in our nation’s history.