[2][3] Each year, nationally ranked teams with future NCAA Division-I and NBA players travel to Erie to battle for the championship and the opportunity to play against other top talent.

The Burger King Classic has hosted the nation's top-ranked team eight times, over 25 state champions and nearly two dozen All-Americans and future NBA players.

Archbishop Wood (PA) is the defending Classic champions while Rice (NY) and St. Edward (OH) has won the tournament a record four times each.

The tournament was considered a success with Bishop Loughlin being crowned as the first Classic Champion, defeating the host Cathedral Prep Ramblers 70–63.

[6] In 2010, Burger King signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Classic, taking the event's title away from rival McDonald's, who had held the moniker since 1983.

Each team is assigned a host from Cathedral Prep who caters to them for the entire day, makes sure they get to meals, and finds places they wish to visit.

Various members of the school provide meals, direction and other services for the visiting teams as well as help out at the games themselves with things like photography, trophy presentation and security.

Superstar Treg Lee leads the Vikings to a 65-58 victory in the finals over Meadville, a team that would make it all the way to the PA State AAAA championship game.

Then the Ramblers pull off one of the most stunning upsets in Prep history in the finals by handing top-ranked national power Oak Hill Academy.

Tim Thomas, in his second Classic, scored 29 points in the championship game, added to the 25 he compiled on opening night in a 65-51 ousting of LaSalle Academy.

In the consolation contest, Javin Hunter's 30 points is not enough, and Detroit Country Day falls to Admiral King 63-62 in overtime.

All-American Matt Carroll scored 25 points in the opener to lead Hatboro Horsham over Prep, but the Ramblers bounced backed with a solid 51-42 consolation win against Simon Gratz.

Rice blasted last year's champs, LaSalle, 77-46 and Jack Heissenbuttel led Lexington over Prep 74-66 on opening night.

Setting tournament records for most points, rebounds and steals, the Comets easily disposed of D.C. Dunbar, 93-51, in the opener and routed Chester 100-50 to claim their first Classic title.

Rice, ranked #16, was led by 7'3" Shagari Alleyne, but Tyler Relph, Ryan Pettinella and Marty O'Sullivan combined for 55 points to lead McQuaid to a 69-63 win.

Edgewater snuck by Philadelphia Cardinal Dougherty (#7 ranking) on opening night, while Mount Vernon thrashed Prep 72-43.

Fairley, led by Anthony Mason Jr., barely edged powerful Westbury Christian on opening night, while O'Connell, starring North Carolina-bound All-American Marcus Ginyard, pounded Prep 79-58.

Prep, which hadn't been in the finals since 1997, beat AAAA Pennsylvania champion Chester High, 88-84 in overtime to reach the championship game.

Attempting to defend their title without injured star Delvon Roe, St. Edward suffered their first loss in three appearances in the Classic.

The host Ramblers extended their Classic losing-streak to eight games after an opening overtime loss to Charlotte Christian and a consolation defeat to St. Edward.

The Eagles were led by Auburn commit Shaq Johnson who scored a team-high 36 points on a number of thunderous dunks.

The Panthers crushed host Cathedral Prep in the opening game, but the Ramblers responded in the consolation, upsetting nationally-ranked Bishop O'Connell.

However, it was Virginia's Paul VI Panthers that ended up taking the crown, topping Wesson and the Wildcats in the title match.

However, Imhotep Charter, which defeated Andrews Osborne in the opening game, edged Prep for its second Classic crown.

Meanwhile, the host Ramblers lost a tight-knit contest after a potential game-winning buzzer-beating shot was unsuccessful, before they ultimately fell in the consolation game to Canisius.

2025 Champions: Archbishop Wood, Warminster Township, PA Archbishop Wood 56, Richmond Heights 49 Cathedral Prep 54, Aliquippa 46 Consolation: Richmond Heights 67, Aliquippa 63 (OT) Championship: Archbishop Wood 63, Cathedral Prep 62 Within a tournament field mostly consisting of first-time participants and entirely of programs that've all won state championships over the prior decade, the Warminster, Pa.-based Vikings edged the Cleveland-based and defending Ohio-state champion Spartans to kick things off as Brady MacAdams led the way with 22 points while teammate Mike Green helped out with 15 points.

As for the host Ramblers, they took advantage of the defending PIAA-champion Quips' late-game foul & turnover troubles in order to pull away with their opening round win and reach the championship match for the first time since 2020.

In the consolation game, Richmond Heights would mount a 23-8 fourth-quarter comeback before ultimately claiming third place in overtime as Mehki Ansberry powered the Spartans with 17 points.

However, the Vikings made a fourth-quarter push before MacAdams (who lead his team with another 22-point performance) sank a game-winning three-point shot in the final seconds to give them the Classic Crown.

In the McDonald's Classic 25th Anniversary game program, director Ron Sertz revealed his favorite memories from the history of the event.