March 16, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame men’s basketball team (19-14) will play host to Xavier (21-11) at 7:00 p.m. EST Monday, March 20, at the Joyce Center in a second-round National Invitation Tournament matchup.

The game will be televised by ESPN.

This is Notre Dame’s 31st overall postseason men’s basketball appearance and its seventh in the NIT. The Irish previously played in the NIT in 1968 (third place), 1973 (runnerup), 1983 (first-round loss), 1984 (runnerup), 1992 (runnerup) and 1997 (third-round loss). Notre Dame’s overall record in NIT play stands at 17-6.

Tickets for Notre Dame’s second-round NIT matchup with Xavier are now on sale. Tickets prices are $18 (loge), $15 (lower arena), $8 (bleacher) and $4 (Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross students with identification). The first 250 Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross students will be admitted free of charge at Gate 10 on Monday night.

Tickets are available both at the Joyce Center Gate 10 ticket office and the second-floor ticket windows inside Gate 1 — and by phone by calling 219-631-7356. Ticket-sale hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST Thursday, Friday and Saturday, on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until the tipoff the NCAA women’s game at 6:35 p.m. — then beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Monday.

The winner of the Notre Dame-Xavier contest plays in a third-round contest — with the date and site for that game to be determined at a later date. Candidates for the opponent are BYU (21-10 after a first-round win over Bowling Green) or the Colorado-Southern Illinois winner (those teams meet March 16, with the winner to take on BYU).

NOTE: Because of Notre Dame’s NIT basketball game on Monday, March 20, the Notre Dame Spring Band Concert has been moved to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, at the Joyce Center arena. That event originally had been slated for March 20.