UF Men's Basketball To Headline SEC/Big East Tampa Venue; Gators Take on Syracuse Dec. 10
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | Men's Basketball
The University of Florida men's basketball team will be making its first appearance in the SEC/Big East Invitational, taking on Syracuse at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Dec. 10.
The third annual SEC/BIG EAST Invitational will be held December 9-10 in New York City and Tampa, Fla., ESPN Regional Television (ERT) announced today.
The two-night men's college basketball event begins with a doubleheader Wednesday, Dec. 9, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The matchups feature Georgia vs. St. John's on ESPN2, followed by Kentucky vs. Connecticut on ESPN.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., DePaul will take on Mississippi State on ESPN2, followed by Syracuse vs. Florida on ESPN. Game times for all four matchups will be announced at a later date.
Florida and Syracuse are meeting for the third time in the last five years with each team having a victory (UF in 2005 and Syracuse in 2008). Syracuse leads the all-time series between the two schools, 2-1.
The Gators will be making their fifth appearance in the building since 2003. UF reached the Second Round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament at the St. Pete Times Forum, picked up non-conference wins in 2006 and 2007 and reached the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament at the building last month.
Teams invited to participate in the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational are chosen by ESPN in consultation with the conferences and are based on geographic and competitive criteria.
The BIG EAST holds a 5-3 record in the first two years of the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational.
The two conferences have combined to produce four of the last seven NCAA Men's Basketball Champions (Florida - 2007 and 2006; Connecticut - 2004; Syracuse - 2003) and seven of the last 14 national champions (Connecticut - 1999; Kentucky - 1998 and 1996).
Tickets for the 2009 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational are expected to go on sale in early summer. For more information, visit the official Web site: secbigeastinvitational.com.
