Temple and Syracuse to meet at inaugural Gotham Classic

PHILADELPHIA – Two of the top 10 winningest men’s college basketball programs, Temple and Syracuse, will headline the field of the inaugural Gotham Classic, which culminates with the two teams facing each other at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday, December 22.

Tickets for the Gotham Classic go on sale Thursday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m.

Temple, which is the sixth winningest Division I program with 1,790 wins, returns two starters from last year's team in junior guard Khalif Wyatt (17.1 ppg.) and junior forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (9.3 ppg.).  The Owls, who posted a 24-8 record in a 2011-12 season highlighted by the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season championship and a fifth straight NCAA appearance, also will return fifth-year senior forward Scootie Randall and junior forward Dalton Pepper, both of whom red-shirted last season.

Syracuse, which made its eighth NCAA Elite 8 appearance in 2011-12, ranks fifth on the NCAA alltime win list with 1,844 victories.  The regular season BIG EAST champions return three starters from a team that posted a 34-3 record. The Orange lead the all-time series with Temple, 16-13, but the schools have not met on the hardwood since Temple defeated Syracuse, 65-54, in the NIT third place game at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2002.

The format for the inaugural Gotham Classic sees both Temple and Syracuse playing three games on campus beginning December 15 before taking on each other at the World's Most Famous Arena on Saturday, December 22. The other three teams in the event will travel to both Syracuse and Temple before facing each other, with one game at home and the other on the road.

Match-ups for the 2012 Gotham Classic, television details, and the entire field will be announced at a later date.

To purchase tickets to the Temple-Syracuse game, call the Temple ticket office at 215-204-8499