Orange to Face Texas A&M on March 16 in Jacksonville
3/12/2006 6:15:59 PM | Men's Basketball
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INDIANAPOLIS -- The BIG EAST Conference Tournament champion Syracuse Orange (23-11) earned a No. 5 seed in the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship and will face No. 12 seed Texas A&M University (21-8) on Thursday, March 16 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Fla. as part of the tournament's Atlanta Regional. Syracuse will play in the fourth game of the day, 30 minutes following the completion of the LSU-Iona contest scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
It is SU's 31st appearance, fourth-straight, in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange owns an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 48-30, captured its first and only title in 2003, and has been to four Final Fours (1975, 1987, 1996, 2003).
This is the third time SU has earned a No. 5 seed (1998, 2001) in the tournament. The Orange owns a record of 3-2 when seeded fifth.
It will be the first-ever meeting between Syracuse and Texas A&M. The Aggies, who earned an at-large bid, will be making their seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament and first since 1987. The Aggies' best showings were trips to the Sweet Sixteen in 1969 and 1980. Other NCAA appearances in school history were 1951, 1954 and 1975.
Texas A&M enters the tournament with a 21-8 overall record. The Aggies finished 10-6 and in fourth place in the Big 12, marking its most victories in league play and highest finish in the conference since the Big 12's inception in 1996-97.
Syracuse earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by virtue of winning the Big East Tournament championship with four victories in four days by a total of eight points. The Orange knocked off Cincinnati in the first round, 74-73, and then defeated three nationally-ranked opponents during its magical Manhattan run against #1/1 Connecticut (86-84 in overtime), #20/20 Georgetown (58-57) and #15/16 Pittsburgh (65-61).
The winner of the Syracuse vs. Texas A&M matchup will face the winner of LSU (23-8) vs. Iona (23-7) in second-round action on Saturday, March 18.
In addition to its 2003 national championship and four Final Four appearances, the Syracuse program also boasts seven trips to the Elite Eight (1957, 1966, 1975, 1987, 1989, 1996, 2003) and 17 appearances in the Sweet Sixteen (1957, 1966, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004).
Syracuse University men’s basketball fans interested in purchasing tickets can order tickets based on the following information.
For the first and second rounds of the tournament, each participating school is allotted 350 tickets. The single-session ticket price for the first round is $55. From the University’s allotment the policy is to make available to SU students the number of tickets proportional to the percentage of students in our season ticket base. Additional tickets may become available based on the site of first and second round games and demand for tickets by the other teams participating at that site.
The ticket allotment for each school increases for the NCAA Tournament Regional semifinals. On Monday, March 13 members of the Orange Pack’s Dave Bing Fund and Carrier Dome Box holders and Courtside Floor Seat holders must call the following Box Office phone numbers: 1-888-366-3849 toll free, or 1-315-443-2121 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to place a ticket order request.
Carrier Dome Box holders may request up to four tickets, while Orange Pack’s Dave Bing Fund members and Courtside Floor Seat holders may request up to two tickets. Due to the limited quantity of tickets made available to each participating school, there is no guarantee that all ticket requests can be filled. All requests will be prioritized based on current year giving to Athletics and Orange Pack priority points.
Individuals placing requests for tickets will be notified prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday of the status of their ticket request. If any tickets remain, the following procedures will be in effect for the sale of tickets at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Fans must go to the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B) to purchase tickets. Phone orders will not be taken and tickets will only be sold at the Box Office. All seats will be assigned based on current year giving to Athletics and Orange Pack priority points.
Only first round tickets can be purchased on Monday and Tuesday. Visa, MasterCard or cash will be accepted. Details regarding the purchase of second round tickets will be provided when first round tickets are purchased. SU students who are season ticket holders of record for the 2005-06 season will be permitted to purchase one ticket per individual with their valid SU identification card. Student tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, while they last.
