08/12/2009 - Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke will host the East Regional of the 2009 Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament, Nov. 16-17, as announced today by C.M. Newton, chair of the NIT Selection Committee. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the NIT Season Tip-Off and the sixth time the Blue Devils have played in the event.

"Anyone who is a fan of college basketball knows the storied history behind this tournament - the foundation of the great fields started with the first NIT in 1985, when three of the NCAA Final Four teams that played in March met in the NIT Season Tip-Off championships at Madison Square Garden, a kind of 'First Four'" commented Newton, who is in the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Duke, three-time NIT Season Tip-Off champions (1985, 2000, 2005), will play Coastal Carolina out of the Big South in the opening round of the East Regional, while Charlotte (Atlantic 10) will face Southern Conference representative Elon. The Blue Devils are 18-2 in five previous appearances in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament.

In the West Regional, Arizona State, a 1997 fourth-place finisher in the NIT Season Tip-Off, is the host site for its game against Texas State out of the Southland Conference, and for the TCU vs. Cal State-Northridge matchup.

LSU is the host site for the South Regional, and the Tigers will tip against Indiana State from the Missouri Valley Conference, while Western Kentucky, who finished second in the 1986 NIT Season Tip-Off, will play Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Horizon League).

In the North Regional, Connecticut, twice a third-place finisher in the NIT Season Tip-Off (1997, 2003), is the host against Colgate (Patriot League), while Hofstra (Colonial Athletic Association) faces Yale (Ivy).

The regional games will be played on Nov. 16 and 17, the consolation bracket will take place on November 23 and 24 (sites to be determined), and the championship round comes to New York City's Madison Square Garden for the "First Four" semifinal and final doubleheaders, Nov. 25 and 27.  The NIT Season Tip-Off assures every participating team four games once again this year.

First and second-round games will be played at the home campus of the four highest seeded teams. The winners of those sites will move onto New York City. The remaining 12 teams will play third and fourth-round games on the home campus sites of the three highest remaining seeds. Participating teams will not play any team twice, and the third and fourth rounds will be assigned to the most geographically compatible site possible.

ESPN will provide coverage throughout the event, televising games on ESPN, espn2, and ESPNU. Games on ESPN and espn2 will be simulcast on ESPN360.com.

About the NIT
In August of 2005, the NIT, LLC, which is under the umbrella of the NCAA, assumed control of  the post season NIT and the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. The post season NIT was founded in 1938 by a group of New York City sportswriters while the NIT Season Tip-Off, formerly known as the preseason NIT, started in 1985. An independent at-large committee chooses the filed for both events. Since the inception of the two Tournaments, tens of thousands of student-athletes and coaches have participated. Visit www.nit.org for more details on Tournament history, selection committee and procedures.