Southern Illinois will open its 2010-11 men's basketball season with a nationally televised home game versus Northeastern as part of ESPN's third-annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
The contest will mark the regular-season christening of the newly renovated SIU Arena, which has undergone a major retrofit during the off-season.
Fans will be greeted by a new entrance and lobby area, plus a concourse that encircles the upper bowl of the arena. Amenities will include a Saluki Team Store, Hall of Fame, expanded concessions and new restrooms. The upgraded SIU Arena will also feature 1,200 additional chairback seats, including the first five rows of upper bowl. A club room and state-of-the-art scoreboard with individual statistics and replay capability will enhance the fan experience.
"We welcome the opportunity to showcase our new arena in front of a national TV audience," said head coach Chris Lowery. "Our fans are going to be extremely proud of the new look and feel of the arena."
Northeastern, which plays in the Colonial Athletic Association, returns two starters from last year's team that won 20 games and lost by two points at UConn in the first round of the NIT.
"The Colonial is a great league and Northeastern is a quality opponent to open the arena," Lowery said. "They finished second in their conference last year and had an RPI of 78, so they present a formidable challenge."
SIU will play a return game in Boston next year, which Lowery said is an added benefit to the program, which has been trying to schedule an east coast opponent for center Gene Teague, a New Jersey native.
The most unique aspect of the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon is the staggered start times, beginning with Miami at Memphis at midnight that day. The Salukis' game against the Huskies will tip off at 9 a.m.
"It will be a memorable occasion for our fans, and I know our administration is already working on some ideas to make it a unique and special event," Lowery said.
Director of Athletics Mario Moccia said the department weighed all factors related to the 9 a.m. tipoff, and the consensus on campus was that the opportunity for national exposure was too enticing to pass up.
"The early start time presents some unusual challenges," Moccia said. "However, we will work together with the campus community and business community to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our fans."
