Joining the Big Ten and Big East conferences, the University of Michigan men's basketball program announced Thursday it will host Seton Hall in the 2021 Gavitt Tipoff Games on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at Crisler Center.
For the first time in 32 years, Michigan and Seton Hall will face each other. In one of U-M's most historic games, the 11th-ranked Wolverines used a pair of Rumeal Robinson overtime free throws to secure an 80-79 victory (April 3) over the 10th-ranked Pirates and complete U-M's dramatic run to the 1989 national title.
Just eight months later, U-M and Seton Hall met at the Duel in the Desert. In the only other meeting between the two schools, the sixth-ranked Wolverines posted a 91-86 victory (Dec. 23) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
In three Gavitt Tipoff Games appearances, U-M holds 2-1 record, winning its last two. In the inaugural matchup, the 24th-ranked Wolverine's dropped an 86-70 decision to Xavier at Crisler Center (Nov. 19, 2015). After not participating in the 2016 and 2017 series, No. 22-ranked U-M picked up its first win, 73-46, in a rematch of the 2018 national title game at No. 8 Villanova (Nov. 14, 2018). The Maize and Blue added a second win after defeating Creighton, 79-71, on Nov. 12, 2019, in Ann Arbor.
In its sixth year competing in the event, the Big Ten holds a 2-0-3 lead over the Big East in the conference battle. After evenly splitting eight games, 4-4, over the first three years, the Big Ten has captured the last two events with 5-3 records. The 2020 series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled through 2022, each Big Ten school is slated to play in four total games, while Big East teams will play in six.
Tipoff times and television designations will be announced at a later date, with games appearing on FS1 or Big Ten Network.
The Gavitt Tipoff Games is an early-season series played between the two conferences, and is named in honor of Hall of Famer Dave Gavitt, founder of the Big East and basketball visionary.
2021 Gavitt Tipoff Games
Monday, Nov. 15
Providence at Wisconsin
Illinois at Marquette
Tuesday, Nov. 16
Seton Hall at Michigan
Creighton at Nebraska
Wednesday, Nov. 17
Michigan State at Butler
St John's at Indiana
Thursday, Nov. 18
Ohio State at Xavier
Rutgers at DePaul
