Syracuse basketball returns to New York City in 2019 for NIT Season Tip-Off

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will be heading back to New York City in 2019. Jim Boeheim’s club will participate in the NIT Season Tip-Off event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, alongside the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Ole Miss Rebels. The tournament is still on the search for a fourth team, though it’s likely to come from a major conference.

While Syracuse just had an 0-2 showing at Madison Square Garden two weeks ago at the 2K Empire Classic, next year’s tournament allows SU to once again check the box on its annual trip to New York. NYC continues to serve as a vital hub for Syracuse vis-à-vis exposure, recruiting and of course, dollars.

Syracuse was most recently in the NIT Season Tip-Off event in 2011 when the Orange won the tournament after beating Virginia Tech and Stanford. SU also participated in the event in 2007 but lost to Ohio State. Syracuse won the event in 1988 and 2001.

Madison Square Garden played host to the tournament for the first three decades of its existence but has since moved to Barclays in Brooklyn. The ACC Tournament will also return to Brooklyn in the 2021-2022 season.

Still one more team left to add to the field, as mentioned, but the hope is that they’re top-25 caliber for strength of schedule purposes. Someone a little more familiar could also be fun, given how much the Rebels and Cowboys are mostly strangers to SU.

The Orange have faced Ole Miss just once: 2017’s 85-80 NIT loss. OK State’s lined up opposite Syracuse five different times — most recently at MSG in 2006 (a 72-68 loss). Syracuse has dropped two straight to the Cowboys since beating them in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. This will also be the fifth time the teams have faced off on a neutral court. The lone exception was 1986, a 73-62 win for Syracuse at home.

Who do you want the fourth team to be? Keep in mind it won’t be from the ACC, SEC or Big 12.