March 17, 2004

Notre Dame, Ind. – Tickets go on sale at 4:00 p.m. EST today for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team’s second-round National Invitation Tournament matchup against St. Louis, to be played at 7:00 p.m. EST, on Monday, March 22, at the Fort Wayne Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Tickets for the Notre Dame (18-12 record)-St. Louis (19-12) NIT matchup are $15 (lower level), $10 (upper level) and $4 (Notre Dame/Saint Mary’s/Holy Cross students with ID). Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, and by phone by calling 574-272-7979 in the South Bend area and 260-424-1811 in the Fort Wayne area. Tickets can purchased online through www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are available in person over the counter at the Fort Wayne Coliseum (4000 Parnall Avenue) from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday (VISA, Mastercard, Discover and cash accepted).

Area Ticketmaster outlets include Orbit Music II in the Belleville Shopping Center in South Bend; Orbit Music in the Town & Country Shopping Center, and L.S. Ayres at University Park Mall, both in Mishawaka; and the Embassy Theatre, L.S. Ayres in Glenbrook Mall, Marsh Supermarket on Maplecrest Road, plus three Wooden Nickel locations, all in Fort Wayne.

Notre Dame’s men’s basketball squad will be playing in Fort Wayne for the first time since 1967. The Irish played Indiana at the Fort Wayne Coliseum eight straight seasons from 1960-61 through 1967-68 (the Hoosiers won all but one game). Notre Dame played Purdue there in three straight seasons from 1961-62 to 1963-64. The Irish dropped a game to Fort Wayne Knights of Columbus in the 1919-20 season. Notre Dame recorded two NCAA Tournament wins at the Coliseum, defeating Eastern Kentucky in a first-round game in 1953 and Loyola (La.) in a first-round game in 1954. Notre Dame also defeated Valparaiso at the Coliseum on Jan. 10, 1958, in the first regular-season college game ever played at that facility.

Notre Dame is making its eighth NIT appearance, after previously playing in that event in 1968, ’73, ’83, ’84, ’92, ’97 and 2000. The Irish are 21-7 overall in NIT play, including a 10-1 mark at the Joyce Center following the 71-59 Irish first-round win over Purdue Wednesday night. St. Louis advanced with a 70-69 win over Iowa Tuesday night in a game played in St. Charles, Ill. Notre Dame finished third in the NIT in ’68 and second in ’73, ’84, ’92 and 2000.

Notre Dame and St. Louis will meet for the first time since a 48-42 Irish win on Jan. 30, 1985, at Notre Dame. This will mark the 30th all-time meeting, with the Irish having won 15 of the previous contests.