GLENDALE, Ariz. - Intersport announced today the debut of the Arizona Tip-Off, an early season men's basketball tournament scheduled for Nov. 17-19. DePaul, South Carolina, Grand Canyon and San Francisco make up the inaugural four-team Cactus Division, while Northern Arizona, Purdue Fort Wayne, South Dakota and VMI will compete in the Desert Division.
The launch of the Arizona Tip-Off gives The Valley a college basketball presence in the season's highly anticipated opening month and its exciting conclusion in early April. The Arizona Tip-Off will take place at Desert Diamond Arena, which is located just across the street from State Farm Stadium, which will serve as the host venue for the 2024 Final Four.
All eight teams participating in the Arizona Tip-Off will be in action on Nov. 17 for their respective opening-round games, which are as follows:
Cactus Division: DePaul vs. South Carolina; Grand Canyon vs. San Francisco
Desert Division: South Dakota vs. VMI; Northern Arizona vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
The championship and third-place game in the Desert Division will be played Nov. 18, while the championship and third-place game in the Cactus Division will be held Nov. 19. All Cactus Division games will be broadcast by CBS Sports Network. Tip times for all games, in addition to distribution plans for Desert Division games, will be announced at a later date.
Entering his second year at the helm of the Dons, head coach Chris Gerlufsen will aim to continue the program's upward trajectory after guiding the USF to a 20-14 overall record and an appearance in the semifinal round of the WCC Tournament. Notably, it was also USF's sixth 20+ win season in the last seven years. Reloading through the transfer portal, the Dons have brought in six new student-athletes for the upcoming year, including former top 100 recruit MalikThomas as well as international talent from Serbia, China and Mongolia. In addition to defensive stopper Jonathan Mogbo, San Francisco Chronicle Player of the Year Ryan Beasley will also be joining the mix for the green and gold.
For the Dons, USF will face off against Grand Canyon for the third time in the last four seasons to begin the tournament. In their first two meetings, the two teams split the two contests as the Dons were victorious (68-63) at the Far West Classic in Las Vegas on Dec. 20, 2020 before dropping a tight, one-point battle (49-48) at the Jerry Colangelo Classic at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Dec. 18, 2021.
Travel packages for fans looking to join their favorite team in the Grand Canyon State for the inaugural Arizona Tip-Off are on sale now atwww.arizonatipoff.com/travel. Fans can also register to receive regular event updates and additional tournament and ticket news by visitingwww.arizonatipoff.com/contact. Ticket-only packages, based on availability, will be available in the fall.
For updates and more information on the USF men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on Twitter, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
