April 22, 2014
THE FLATS – NCAA Tournament teams Louisville, North Carolina, NC State and Syracuse, as well as NIT teams Clemson, Florida State and Georgia all come to McCamish Pavilion in 2014-15 in what may become one of the best home schedules Georgia Tech has ever played.
The Atlantic Coast Conference released its schedule rotation for the next two seasons Tuesday, and Louisville and Syracuse will be making their first-ever visits to McCamish Pavilion along with their Hall of Fame coaches Rick Pitino and Jim Boeheim. Also making the trip to Atlanta from the ACC are Boston College, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
Clemson and Notre Dame are permanent home-and-away partners for Tech in the ACC. The matchups released today designate the 18-game home and away opponents for each of the next two seasons. Specific game dates, times and networks have not yet been determined. The 2014-15 season begins a 12-year schedule rotation in which teams that are not permanent partners will play five years at home only, five years on the road only, and two years both home and road.
“We’re excited to have Louisville and Syracuse coming to Atlanta for the first time, and our home schedule continues to be very strong due to the quality of the teams in the ACC,” said Tech coach Brian Gregory. “This schedule, including the non-conference teams that are coming here next season, poses a challenge for us every time we step on the floor and gives our fans exciting games to watch.”
Georgia Tech’s ticket office is now accepting deposits – $100 per order – at www.ramblinwreck.com/tickets or by calling 1-888-TECH-TIX. Season ticket pricing and other information will be announced in the coming weeks, and Tech patrons will be able to renew their season tickets beginning in June.
“It’s exciting to look ahead to our league’s basketball schedule, as there’s no shortage of quality conference games,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “This two-year alignment will allow for outstanding opportunities that will highlight our teams and players while providing our fans with continually appealing matchups.”
Georgia Tech plays Louisville, the 1980, 1986 and 2013 NCAA Champion, for the first time since meeting in a 2005 NCAA Tournament second-round game in Nashville, Tenn. The Cardinals come to Atlanta for the first time since 1997 (a 94-86 Tech win in the Georgia Dome) and to the Tech campus for the first time since 1991 (an 82-69 win at Alexander Memorial Coliseum). The Yellow Jackets are 4-2 against the Cardinals all-time on campus, and 7-3 in the city of Atlanta.
Louisville was the opponent for Tech in the first-ever college basketball game played in the Georgia Dome, which featured James Forrest’s half-court buzzer-beating three-point field goal that lifted the Yellow Jackets to an 87-85 win. Tech is 13-15 all-time against the Cardinals, who also will play Tech at McCamish Pavilion in 2015-16.
Syracuse, the 2003 NCAA Champion which began last season 25-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation during their first season in the ACC, will be visiting the Tech campus for the first time ever. The only two previous meetings between the two teams in Atlanta occurred at the Omni (1985 NCAA Tournament) and at Philips Arena (December of 2001 as part of the Delta Air Lines Classic at Philips Arena), and Tech won both games.
Tech defeated the Orange, ranked seventh in the nation at the time, 67-62, last season at the Carrier Dome and leads the all-time series, 3-2.
The Yellow Jackets also face the Tar Heels and Demon Deacons on the road in 2014-15, and on the road only against four-time NCAA champion Duke, 2013 ACC Champion Miami, Pittsburgh, defending ACC Champion Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Virginia reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Championship last season before falling to Michigan State, while North Carolina (four-time national champion), NC State (two-time national champion), Pittsburgh and Syracuse each won games in the tournament. Clemson and Florida State both advanced to the semi-finals of the NIT at Madison Square Garden.
Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Syracuse are projected top 25 teams for next season.
Other confirmed non-conference games at home include Charlotte and Vanderbilt, while the Yellow Jackets will travel to play NCAA Sweet 16 team Dayton and an ACC/Big Ten Challenge opponent (to be named). Tech also is in the field for the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., during Thanksgiving week, which includes NCAA teams Kansas, Michigan State and Tennessee, as well as Marquette, Rhode Island, Rider and Santa Clara as possible opponents.
2014-15 ACC BREAKDOWN (2013-14 RPI rank in parentheses)
Home/Road: Clemson (79), Notre Dame (136), North Carolina (25), Wake Forest (113)
Home: Florida State (54), NC State (55), Louisville (19), Boston College (207), Syracuse (16)
Road: Miami (110), Duke (9), Virginia (8), Virginia Tech (246), Pittsburgh (39)
Non-conference home games confirmed: Charlotte (151), Georgia (74), Vanderbilt (120)
Non-conference road games confirmed: Dayton (43)
Old Spice Classic field: Kansas (3), Marquette (92), Michigan State (18), Rhode Island (155), Rider (198), Santa Clara (210), Tennessee (42)
2015-16 ACC BREAKDOWN
Home/Road: Clemson, Notre Dame, Louisville, Pittsburgh
Home: Miami, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Road: Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Boston College, Syracuse
About Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball
Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team is in its third year under head coach Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets have been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, won three ACC Championships, played in the NCAA Tournament 16 times and played in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBK). For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
