FORT MYERS, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2020) – The third-annual Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off is set to take place at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College Thursday and Friday. The two-day event features two of college basketball’s highest ranked programs to tip off the new season.

Gonzaga, ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll, will face Kansas, ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP poll, in the Tip-Off’s opening game at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. That will be followed by Auburn taking on Saint Joseph’s at 4:30 p.m. ET. On Friday, Auburn will face Gonzaga at 11 a.m., with Kansas squaring off with Saint Joseph’s at 2 p.m.

All games will be televised by FOX Sports. Play-by-play announcer Adam Amin and lead college basketball analyst Bill Raftery will call all four games of the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off.

This year’s event is loaded with star power on the court and on the sidelines. Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Kansas’ Marcus Garrett are consensus Preseason All-Americans, having both been All-Conference honorees a season ago. Saint Joseph’s Ryan Daly was an All-A-10 honoree last year after leading the league in scoring. Meanwhile, Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Kansas’ Bill Self and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl have each guided their teams to the Final Four in the last three seasons (Gonzaga, 2017; Kansas, 2018; Auburn, 2019).

Now in its third year, the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off has become a fixture in the Southwest Florida sports calendar, and this year’s edition will continue to add to the anticipation for the event every November. Together, the teams of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off boast a combined 101 NCAA Tournament bids, 18 Final Four berths and 177 conference regular season or tournament championships.

Due to social distancing restrictions inside the arena, an extremely limited number of tickets have been made available to fans, which are now sold out. There will not be tickets available for purchase at the arena on game day. Fans who have secured tickets are required to wear a mask at all times while attending the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off.

The health and safety of everyone involved in the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off is the event’s top priority. Event organizers are regularly monitoring developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and will implement safety measures based on prevailing guidelines from the Florida Department of Health and national health entities to help protect the health and safety all of players, coaches, fans and staff.

Broadcast Schedule (All times ET)

Nov. 26

Gonzaga vs. Kansas, 1:30 p.m., FOX

Auburn vs. Saint Joseph’s, 4:30 p.m., FS1

Nov. 27

Auburn vs. Gonzaga, 11 a.m., FOX

Kansas vs. Saint Joseph’s, 2 p.m., FS1

Matchup History

Gonzaga vs. Kansas

• Series Record: Kansas leads, 1-0
• Last Matchup: November 13, 1998: Kansas 80, Gonzaga 66
• Notable: The 1998-99 season marked the first of 21 straight years the Bulldogs would advance to the NCAA Tournament, the fourth longest active streak in the nation. Kansas, with 30 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, holds the longest active streak in the country.

Auburn vs. Saint Joseph’s

• Series Record: Auburn leads, 2-0
• Last Matchup: March 21, 2003: Auburn 65, Saint Joseph’s 63 (OT)
• Notable: Each of the two Auburn wins in the series was decided by two points; including the most recent matchup – a first-round NCAA Tournament game that was played in Tampa.

Gonzaga vs. Auburn

• Series Record: First all-time meeting
• Notable: Bruce Pearl and Mark Few have squared off three times previously, all when Pearl was at Tennessee. Few owns a 2-1 all-time record against Pearl:
  • Dec. 29, 2007: Tennessee 82, Gonzaga 72
  • Nov. 30, 2008: Gonzaga 83, Tennessee 74
  • Jan. 7, 2009: Gonzaga 89, Tennessee 79

Kansas vs. Saint Joseph’s

• Series Record: Kansas leads, 5-2
• Last matchup: Dec. 6, 2005: Saint Joseph’s 70, Kansas 67
• Notable: Saint Joseph’s has won both neutral site matchups in the seven-game history between the programs (67-65 on Dec. 29, 1958 in Manhattan, Kan.; 70-67 on Dec. 6, 2005 in New York City).

For more information about the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off and all event updates, please follow us on Twitter, @FtMyersTipoff, or visit fortmyerstipoff.com.

About the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off

Launched in 2018, the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off brings the nation’s top college basketball programs together for two days of incredible competition to see which team and their fans will #OwnTheFort during Thanksgiving Week. Contested at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, the home of Florida SouthWestern State College, the four-team tournament has quickly become a staple of the Southwest Florida sports calendar. For more information on the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off, please visit fortmyerstipoff.com.

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