Florida returns to Barclays Center for the third time
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida men’s basketball will compete in the NIT Season Tip-Off at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Nov. 22 and 24, along with Baylor, Pitt and Oregon State. Matchups, times and ESPN platform designations will be announced in the coming months.
It marks the Gators’ first appearance in the event since Nov. 2002 and the team’s first visit to New York City under second-year head coach Todd Golden.
The Gators will bring a 2023-24 team that features returning starters Riley Kugel and Will Richard in addition to rising sophomores Denzel Aberdeen and Aleks Szymczyk. UF’s newcomers will include an elite transfer class and incoming freshmen Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon.
Florida makes its third all-time trip to Barclay’s Center, competing twice previously in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational with a win vs. Providence in Dec. 2019 and a loss vs. Maryland in Dec. 2021.
Against the rest of the field, the Gators hold an all-time 1-2 record vs. Baylor, 3-4 vs. Pitt and 1-0 vs. Oregon State. Oregon State is the only team in the field UF has already faced under Golden, topping the Beavers, 81-68, in last season’s Phil Knight Legacy in Portland, Oregon.
Tickets are not yet on sale, but fans can secure first access to the best seats and discount offers by signing up for the official pre-sale at nitseasontipoff.com<https://espnevents.com/nit-tip-off/>.
