Sunshine State Hoops to Tip-Off the Season at Benchmark Arena

University of Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden said he didn’t want to open next season with a cupcake.

 

Instead, he’s coming to Tampa for the main course.

 

In a season-opening state showcase that’s bound to attract national attention, the Florida Gators will face the Miami Hurricanes, while the Florida State Seminoles will challenge the crosstown Florida A&M Rattlers in the inaugural Orion180 Tip-Off Classic on Monday, Nov. 2, at Benchmark International Arena in downtown Tampa.

 

The games will be telecast by ESPN2 and ESPNU.

 

The Gators, with four returning starters and potentially a stunning seven returning players from the 2025 national championship team, are expected to be the preseason No. 1 program. The Hurricanes, coming off a 26-9 season, should be a top 25-level squad.

 

“You can’t win a good game without playing one, so I credit Jai (Lucas, Miami head coach) for playing a game like this on opening night,’’ Golden said Monday during a news conference to officially announce the double-header. “We began last season playing out in (Las) Vegas against Arizona, but we have not seen that trend necessarily start yet. A lot of teams seem to want to ease into the season and avoid taking on a marquee opponent.

 

“I think we have become a little more open to playing these tough in-state opponents early on. At Florida, we’re going to be judged by our record at the end of the year. I don’t think anybody’s going to care if we get an easy win on opening night, so we’re not going to waste our opportunities. We want to play really tough programs and teams that will prepare us not only for the NCAA Tournament but also for SEC play. Opening here at Benchmark against Miami is a great step in that direction.’’

 

Meanwhile, the Seminoles and Rattlers will meet in men’s basketball for the first time since Dec. 7, 1991 — nearly 35 years ago — as an on-court brawl broke out with 1:15 remaining in the first half, prompting multiple ejections and forcing an early conclusion.

 

FAMU head coach Charlie Ward, an FSU legend, played for the Seminoles that night. Ward said a men’s basketball reunion between the Rattlers and Seminoles will be a huge deal in Tallahassee, where the campuses are within walking distance, and beyond.

 

Ward, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in 1993 who became a first-round pick of the NBA’s New York Knicks, said FAMU and FSU met last year in a preseason exhibition game to “test out the waters.’’

 

“I’m grateful that I’ve been a part of rekindling it because I think it’s beneficial for both schools, and it definitely has a crosstown feel,” Ward said.

 

Ward said he’s grateful that FAMU was asked to participate against the Seminoles, who are coached by Luke Loucks, the former Clearwater High School standout who’s entering his second season at FSU.

 

“Playing against Florida State, but on the card with Florida and Miami, we’re glad to be added to that mix,’’ Ward said. “We’re definitely like a fish out of water. But we’re in the water. So the goal is to come out and compete and enjoy the moment.’’

 

Golden said he was an 8-year-old in Phoenix, Ariz., when he avidly followed FSU’s Ward, his favorite college quarterback.

 

“I was a huge fan,’’ Golden said. “I was so confused why he wasn’t the first pick in the NFL Draft and why he was playing on the Knicks the next year. But he was good enough to play both sports. Coach Ward has done an incredible job of getting the excitement back in the FAMU program, and obviously, he will always be a big, big name at Florida State.

 

“I’m excited about the four teams that are participating in this event. When you talk about building an event that’s great for basketball in the state of Florida, these are the games that will bring a ton of eyeballs and a ton of storylines.’’

 

Golden has long been interested in staging such an event since he became head coach of the Gators. He had conversations with Dan Shell, president of Total Sports Consulting, who was once an assistant coach who recruited him as a walk-on to St. Mary’s College. They found the perfect presenting sponsor in Orion180, a Florida-based insurance company with 500,000 customers and more than $ 130 billion in protected assets.

 

“What really excites me about this is putting Florida on the national stage,’’ Orion180 CEO and Founder Ken Gregg said. “In everything we do as a state, we need to be nationally competitive. Our universities in this state are top-notch, and every sport needs to be.

 

“As a company, we challenge everybody. We’re only eight years old, but we’re not scared to compete against any company in the industry. We want to align with schools like that, and we believe this will be a top-tier national event that will draw everyone's attention. We’re thrilled to grow with it.’’

 

Shell said the intention is to stage an annual tip-off event in Tampa, with the possibility of rotating it to another Florida city. The first-year reception in Tampa will help to shape those plans.

“We’re definitely thrilled to be a partner and definitely thrilled to have the eyes of college basketball on the opening of a new season right here in Tampa,’’ said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “Sports are a very important part of this destination, and our friends at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission are so good at taking the lead and attracting events. This is an incredible destination with all the assets of a big city, but with that small-town feel where everybody gets along and everybody supports one another. Here’s another opportunity for a great sporting event in our area, and we’re excited to have it.’’

 

The Gators have been regular visitors to Tampa, participating in three NCAA Tournament early round sites, two SEC Tournaments, and a half-dozen regular-season matchups.

 

“When we first got here in Florida, we learned quickly that Tampa was a great place,’’ Golden said. “We are supported so well here, and we feel like Tampa is a true Gator town. Benchmark International is a tremendous venue, and it’s going to be a great site not only for us but for all the other participating teams to build their brands in a meaningful way. The way this event has come together, I’m really excited about this opportunity and how strong it could be for the future as well.’’