TAMPA, Fla. — The 2026 men’s college basketball season will tip off in a major way as the inaugural Orion180 Tip-Off Classic comes to Benchmark International Arena on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, featuring a marquee opening-night doubleheader with the Florida Gators taking on the Miami Hurricanes, followed by the Florida State Seminoles facing the Florida A&M Rattlers.
For the Gators, their season came to a disappointing end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Iowa inside Benchmark International Arena.
But it was that loss that became the critical reason why Florida’s star core players are coming back for another season.
“It was everything. I do think it was a big reason why we were able to retain specifically Tommy Hough, Alex Condon, and Reuben Chinyelu,” Florida head coach Todd Golden told Tampa Bay 28 sports anchor Kyle Burger. “All three of those guys have legitimate NBA prospects. If we had gone a little further, I’m not sure we would be able to get them back.”
Florida return 81.8% of its scoring from last season's SEC champion squad, and they’re hoping to run it back beginning in Tampa.
“We want to be the state of Florida’s team,” Golden said. “We like to play games throughout the state, whether it’s down in Sunrise, here in Tampa, Jacksonville, to allow our fans to watch us come and play in person.”
This All-Florida marquee doubleheader on opening night also features Florida State against Florida A&M. FAMU is coached by FSU basketball and football legend Charlie Ward.
“There are a lot of rivalries,” Ward said. “I know I’ve been a part of them, especially being at Florida State, playing against Florida and Miami. Now we’re working on making FSU and FAMU a rivalry, in some form or fashion.”
This will be the first regular-season match-up between the two Tallahassee programs since 1991.
Orion180 Tip Off Classic Event Details
Event Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Location: Benchmark International Arena
National Television: ESPN2 & ESPNU
6:00 PM – #1 Florida Gators vs. #21 Miami Hurricanes 8:30 PM – Florida State Seminoles vs. Florida A&M Rattlers
Share Your Story with Kyle Burger
For Tampa Bay 28 Sports Anchor Kyle Burger, pride in our local teams goes beyond college and the pros. Sports connect us as communities and families. You can connect with Kyle to share your passion for your local athletes below.
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