The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Basketball to Face Talented Field in 2015 NIT Season Tip-Off
August 06 | Men's Basketball
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Complete 2015 NIT Season Tip-Off Release
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron basketball team will face off against Arkansas, Villanova, Green Bay and Charleston Southern as part of the 2015 NIT Season Tip-Off, ESPN announced on Thursday.
Akron will face Arkansas on Wednesday, Nov. 18, Fayetteville, Ark., in the first of four games in the event for the Zips. The squad will then travel to Villanova, Pa., to take on Villanova on Sunday, Nov. 22, before traveling to Green Bay, Wis., to face Green Bay on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Akron will conclude the NIT Season Tip-Off by playing host to Charleston Southern on Friday, Nov. 27, at James A. Rhodes Arena.
"We are excited to play in the NIT Season Tip-Off and have the opportunity to play a number of high-caliber teams," Head Coach Keith Dambrot said. "We face a challenging schedule in the event, but our program is use to playing multiple high-majors early in the season. We will be ready for the challenge."
This is the first time the Zips will play in the NIT Season Tip-Off and will be the fourth-straight year Akron has played in an ESPN-sponsored event. UA played in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in 2012, the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in 2013 and the Gildan Charleston Classic in 2014.
Green Bay is the only team the Zips have faced in the past, posting a 3-5 record against the Phoenix. The two programs last meeting came in the first round of the 2010 College Basketball Invitational (CBI), a 70-66 win by Green Bay in Akron on March 17, 2010.
The slate will feature four programs that posted 19 or more wins last season, with all four teams playing in the postseason. Arkansas (27-9) fell to North Carolina in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament and closed the season ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches and No. 21 in the AP polls.
Villanova (33-3) also advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats fell to NC State and concluded the 2014-15 campaign ranked No. 2 in the AP and No. 9 in the USA Today Coaches polls.
Green Bay (24-9) and Charleston Southern (19-12) each fell in the first round of the NIT.
The Zips concluded the 2014-15 campaign with a 21-14 record and advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals for a record-tying 10th-straight season.
Akron returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's squad that posted 21 or more wins for a 10th-straight season, joining the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Ohio State. Over the last 11 seasons, the Zips have won 252 games, the most by any team in the Mid-American Conference and tied for 30th among all Division I programs.
Season tickets for the 2015-16 season are now on sale, with packages beginning at $60. Tickets can be purchased anytime at GoZips.com/Tickets, or from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Mondays through Fridays by either calling 1-888-99-AKRON (25766) or visiting The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field (located at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the corner of E. Exchange and S. Union streets).
NIT Season Tip-Off Campus Site Games
Fri, Nov. 13 – Green Bay at Stanford
Sun., Nov. 15 – Charleston Southern at Stanford
Tues., Nov. 17 – Green Bay at East Tennessee State
Wed., Nov. 18 – Akron at Arkansas
Thurs., Nov. 19 – Green Bay at Georgia Tech
Fri., Nov. 20 – East Tennessee State at Villanova
Fri., Nov. 20 – Charleston Southern at Arkansas
Sun., Nov. 22 – Akron at Villanova
Sun., Nov. 22 – East Tennessee State at Georgia Tech
Tues., Nov. 24 – Akron at Green Bay
Tues., Nov. 24 – East Tennessee State at Charleston Southern
Fri., Nov. 27 – Charleston Southern at Akron
NIT Season Tip-Off Championship Games
Thurs., Nov. 26 – Arkansas vs. Georgia Tech
Thurs., Nov. 26 – Stanford vs. Villanova
Fri., Nov. 27 – Third-place Game
Fri., Nov. 27 – Championship Game
