The upcoming three-day men's basketball tournament in Provo has taken on the name "Holiday Classic."

Don't consider the event at BYU an annual showcase quite yet.

The Cougars have invited Oral Roberts, Seton Hall and Liberty to the Marriott Center starting tonight for a resurgence of what used to be a regular event. The teams will play each other with a champion crowned at the end, along with an all-tournament team.

BYU officials are just as curious to see whether this could be an event held around the holiday every year, or if it's a one-and-done. Right now, the program is taking immediate advantage of a recent lift on limitations of exempt tournaments.

In the past, a team could participate in an event like this two out of every four years, and never the same one in consecutive seasons. The rule has been erased starting this season, meaning teams can go to an event where they can play several games and have only one or two (based upon type of tournament) count toward the overall scheduling allowance.

Holiday Classic teams get three games for the price of one.

"It's a great chance for us to get three home games in our arena, and really quality competition," said BYU assistant athletic director Brian Santiago said.

It likely won't take place next year. BYU is planning on going to Las Vegas for a tournament that would likely include four games -- two in Provo, followed by some sort of two-game, four-team format in Sin City.

This year's event was assisted by Basketball Travelers, Inc., a 20-year-old company that facilitates domestic and international tournaments for high school and college programs.

There was one catch to the tournament, as far as BTI was concerned: It was contractually obligated to pluck at least one major-conference team. Seton Hall, of the Big East, fits the description.

It is considered purely coincidence that all four teams are part of private, religious-based universities.

The three visiting teams will all stay at the Provo Marriott. It'll be mostly business, with an added strain on assistant coaches who must work extra hours to put finishing touches on the scouting reports of the next opponent.

It's a little bit easier process when compared to a conference or postseason tournament in which the next opponent isn't always known. The schedule is set for all three days at the Holiday Classic, regardless of results.

"Really, the extra work falls on the assistant coaches and the scouting reports," Rose said. "But the players understand by now how we go about preparing for a team, so nothing changes there."

Of course, the challenge for the players is physical.

"We're going to find out which team is in the best shape," Oral Roberts forward Caleb Green said. "Especially by that third day, you'll know what team has depth and conditioning the best. This is good for all of the teams, though, because it's a lot like the turnaround we'll face in conference tournaments."

BYU first hosted the Cougar Classic in 1975, and the four-team tournament ran until 1999.

Seton Hall, which made the 2006 NCAA tournament field like ORU, will be the first Big East team to visit the Marriott Center since 1990, when St. John's played in the Cougar Classic.

The Pirates, 7-2, will make the farthest trip and subject themselves to the most pressure. First, they'll face up-and-down Oral Roberts (5 p.m. today), a 5-6 team from the Mid-Continent Conference that owns a win at nationally ranked Kansas.

Seton Hall's final game Saturday will be against BYU (7:30 p.m.), a squad that is always looking to pick off a major-conference opponent.

Santiago said there weren't concerns expressed from the other three participating teams about game rotation, because they'll all play each other.

ORU coach Scott Sutton said he's just happy to be able to do something like this every year.

"It's a great chance for all of us to get ready for conference play," he said. "And each team can get something out of it to help themselves out, while playing really good teams."

BYU Cougars

Record: 7-4

Reason for concern: Inconsistent play has tempered high expectations.

Inspiring moment: Solid win against Utah State last Saturday showed focus.

Player to watch: 6-6 senior F Keena Young posts 15.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg.

What's after Holiday Classic: Mountain West Conference play opens with defending champ San Diego State (Jan. 6).

Liberty Flames

Record: 6-4

Reason for concern: Lost 3 consecutive before Provo trip.

Inspiring moment: After opening loss at Oklahoma, won next six.

Player to watch: 6-0 senior G Larry Blair (19.1 ppg, 3.3 apg).

What's after Provo: Nothing easier; a Jan. 2 game at Florida before Big South Conference play.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

Record: 5-6

Reason for concern: Lost 3 of 4 and by end of Provo trip will have played 6 of 7 away from home.

Inspiring moment: Shocked then-No. 3 Kansas, 78-71, in Lawrence.

Player to watch: 6-8 senior F Caleb Green rocked Kansas (20 points, 11 rebounds), and that's basically been his every-night (19.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg)

What's after Provo: Mid-Continent Conference action starts Jan. 4 against Western Illinois.

Seton Hall Pirates

Record: 7-2

Reason for concern: Record good, but no stand-out opponents

Inspiring moment: Freshman reserve Larry Davis scored a career-high 27 points to lead Seton Hall to a 94-85 victory over Penn on Saturday; the 6-4 guard hit 8-of-10 field goals.

Player to watch: 6-5 junior G-F Brian Laing gets 14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg.

What's after Provo: Big East play starts Jan. 3 against Rutgers

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This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.