A look at the BIG EAST/SEC Challenge.
The revamped BIG EAST/SEC Challenge features a familiar opponent for the Gators.
ESPN announced Thursday that the Gators will play at Syracuse in the three-day event. The game is scheduled Dec. 2 at the Carrier Dome.
In his early preseason Top 25, ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz ranks Syracuse No. 4 and the Gators No. 12.
This year's format features all 12 games being played in on-campus arenas rather than neutral sites as in past years.
Florida faced the Orangemen in Tampa the last time it played in the event, suffering an 85-73 loss at the St. Pete Times Forum. The Gators are 1-3 all-time vs. Syracuse.
However, they have had much better luck in the Carrier Dome, going 4-0 there, including the first two NCAA Tournament wins in school history in 1987. Oddly enough, they lost in the next round to Syracuse in East Rutherford, N.J.
Here is a look at the complete schedule:
2011 BIG EAST/SEC Challenge
Dec. 1
Georgetown at Alabama
Providence at South Carolina
St. John's at Kentucky
DePaul vs. Ole Miss
Dec. 2
Seton Hall vs. Auburn
Syracuse vs. Florida
Cincinnati at Georgia
Louisville vs. Vanderbilt
Dec. 3
Connecticut vs. Arkansas
West Virginia at Mississippi State
Rutgers vs. LSU
Pittsburgh at Tennessee
All games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.
