Cards to Participate in 2008 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational
January 31, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2008
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville will be one of eight schools participating in two college basketball doubleheaders in the second annual SEC/BIG EAST Invitational next season. Louisville, Marquette, Cincinnati and South Florida will represent the BIG EAST Conference in the event while Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi and Mississippi State will represent the Southeastern Conference.
The 2008 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational, an ESPN Regional Television owned and operated event that features four games over two nights, will be played Dec. 16 at Nashville's Sommet Center and Dec. 18 at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena and will be televised by ESPN and ESPN2. The annual event matches four teams from the BIG EAST Conference against four teams from the Southeastern Conference.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16 in Nashville, Tenn., Vanderbilt will face South Florida while Marquette plays Tennessee. On Dec. 18 in Cincinnati, Louisville will play Mississippi and Cincinnati will play Mississippi State.
The BIG EAST and SEC have combined to produce four of the last five NCAA Men's Basketball Champions (Florida - 2007 and 2006, UConn - 2004, Syracuse - 2003) and seven of the last 12 national champions (UConn - 1999, Kentucky - 1998 and 1996). In 2007, the SEC qualified five teams for the NCAA Tournament, with Florida capturing the national championship for the second straight season, and Tennessee and Vanderbilt finishing in the Sweet 16. The BIG EAST placed six teams in the NCAA Tournament last season, with Georgetown advancing to the Final Four. The BIG EAST sent a record eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2006.
In the 2007 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational, Villanova overcame a 21-point deficit to beat LSU 68-67 in Philadelphia and South Carolina beat Providence by the same margin, 68-67. At the second doubleheader in Birmingham, Ala., Georgetown defeated Alabama 70-60 and West Virginia beat Auburn 88-59.
Game times and details on how to purchase tickets for the 2008 SEC/BIG EAST Invitational will be released at a later date.
