The Georgia men’s basketball team will open play in the 2008 NIT Season Tip-Off by facing Loyola of Chicago in West Lafayette, Ind., according to the tournament’s bracket that was released Tuesday.

The NIT Season Tip-Off, known formerly as the Pre-Season NIT, will implement a brand-new format in the 2008 tourney. Each of the 16 participants is guaranteed four games. The field has been divided into four
pods for first- and second-round games. The four winners from these pods will advance to the semifinals Nov. 26-28 in New York while all other teams will play consolation games against each other in a re-seeded bracket Nov. 24-25.

The Bulldogs will play Loyola Nov. 17 at 9:30 p.m. (EST). Pod host Purdue will face Eastern Michigan in the other matchup at
7 p.m. First-round losers will face each other the next day at 4 p.m. Winners will play at 7 p.m. to advance to the semifinals in New York.

Boston College, Oklahoma and Arizona are the other pod hosts.

Georgia tips off its 2008-09 season Nov. 14 at home against South Carolina-Upstate at 7:30 p.m.

- Georgia Sports Communications