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FLORIDA STATE, ILLINOIS, TEMPLE AND WEST VIRGINIA HEADLINE 2016 NIT SEASON TIP-OFF FIELD AT BARCLAYS CENTER

Nov 27, 2015

BROOKLYN (November 27, 2015) - The NIT Season Tip-Off returns to Barclays Center Thanksgiving Week of 2016 and is set to feature Florida State, Illinois, Temple and West Virginia squaring off in the championship round.

In its second year under the ESPN Events umbrella, the 2016 NIT Season Tip-Off will maintain its format with Florida State, Illinois, Temple and West Virginia each hosting two games at home against designated campus-site teams prior to traveling to Brooklyn. The full schedule, remaining four teams, and campus-site games will be announced at a later date.

The 2017 NIT Season Tip-Off is scheduled for Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, which is currently being renovated by Bruce Ratner and Nassau Events Center (NEC), the same management team behind Barclays Center. The 2018 event will return to Barclays Center.

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates six multi-team events consisting of the Gildan Charleston Classic, Puerto Rico Tip-Off, DIRECTV Wooden Legacy, AdvoCare Invitational, NIT Season Tip-Off and Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. These early-season basketball events run from November through the Christmas holiday.

2016 NIT Season Tip-Off Championship Round Quick Facts

Team Highlights:

  • Florida State made a run to the semifinals of the 2014 Postseason NIT.
  • Illinois has made six postseason appearances in the last seven years, including trips to the Postseason NIT each of the past two seasons.
  • Temple, as a No. 1 seed, advanced to the semifinals of the 2015 Postseason NIT.
  • West Virginia is ranked No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and receiving votes in the Associated Press Poll (as of Nov. 23). The Mountaineers, as a No. 5 seed, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

The NIT Season Tip-Off is a continuation of the annual preseason event that was played at Madison Square Garden from 1985-2014. NIT Season Tip-Off Historical Information

The Barclays Center college basketball platform BROOKLYN HOOPS™ is presented by Ticketmaster.