July 6, 2000
New York - The Fairfield University men's basketball team will play at Villanova, Nov. 14, in the first round of the Preseason NIT Tournament, John J. Powers, executive director of the NIT, announced today.
Powers released the dates and pairings of the nation's premier collegiate early season tournament. The 16-team tournament, now in its 16th year, will begin first-round action, Nov. 13 and 14. Second round games will be Nov. 15, 16 and 17.
Early round games will be played at campus sites with the semifinal doubleheader and final doubleheader coming to New York's Madison Square Garden, Nov. 22 and 24.
Other first-round games on the 13th are: Delaware at Temple, George Mason at New Mexico, Mississippi State at California (ESPN 2, 11:59 p.m. EST), and Navy at Texas. The first round concludes on the 14th with Pepperdine visiting Indiana (ESPN, 7 p.m. EST), South Alabama at Marquette and Princeton playing at Duke (ESPN, 9 p.m. EST).
The winner of the Fairfield-Villanova contest is slated to meet the Duke-Princeton winner, Nov. 17. ESPN will also telecast two second-round games, the semifinal doubleheader and the championship game.
