Reportedly, Minnesota could be facing St. John's in the NIT Season Tip-off this November in New York.
According to ESPN's Andy Katz, the Gophers will face the Red Storm in the tournament semi-finals on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Madison Square Garden. Gonzaga and Georgia -- the other two "host" teams -- would matchup in the other semi-final with the winners of each game meeting two days later in the tournament final. A consolation game would be played as well.
Katz also reported, in his 3-point shot video, that this new eight-team format could be the new norm for the preseason NIT. Before this year, the tournament featured 16 teams. Host teams played two home games which they had to win to advance to New York.
"They really were holding onto this format that frankly, most teams at the high level of Division I did not want to participate in anymore," Katz said. "[Teams] wanted to make sure they had a guaranteed setup to get to a neutral site."
Currently, the Gophers are scheduled to play one home game -- the opponent has not yet been announced -- associated with the tournament, although a team official said there is a change that could change.
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