Basketball fans get ready as the RP Funding Center is excited to present the Florida Tip-Off, featuring Florida Gators Men’s basketball vs. the East Carolina Pirates at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14. This matchup signifies the first-ever meeting between these two teams.

Intersport, a sports marketing and events agency based in Chicago, will manage the operations for the event. This is the second consecutive year Intersport has managed an in-state contest for the Florida basketball program, having managed a neutral site event in Tampa in 2022. The agency also owns and operates the Fort Myers Tip-Off, which has been held in Southwest Florida annually since 2018.

Todd Golden is in his second season as Florida’s head coach, having led the Gators to a postseason bid and multiple top-25 wins in his debut campaign with the program. The Gators’ 2023-24 roster will feature the return of their second and third-leading scorers – Will Richard and Riley Kugel – and a bevy of transfers and incoming freshmen.

East Carolina is led by second-year coach Michael Schwartz, who guided the Pirates to 16 wins last season, the most in a season since the 2013-14 season. The Pirates will return four of their top five scorers from last year, including RJ Felton, Brandon Johnson, Ezra Ausar and Jaden Walker. Ausar was a unanimous AAC All-Freshman Team honoree in 2023.