The Florida basketball season tips off with Midnight Madness presented by AllTel on Friday, October 12th in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Fans can catch the Fast Break Shuttle to the O'Connell Center by parking in the commuter lot on North-South Drive and riding the free shuttle to and from Midnight Madness, starting at 8 p.m.

The festivities begin at 9 p.m. when the eighth-ranked Gator volleyball team battles Ole Miss. Admission is free, and following the match, the Gator and Lady Gator basketball teams will sign autographs for an hour.

The show will continue with highlight videos, celebrity shoot-outs, a student dunk contest, and a chance for one fan to win a Dodge Truck in a three-point shooting competition. The Gator cheerleaders, Dazzlers and pep band will also perform. To great fanfare, the Lady Gator and Gator basketball teams will then make their debuts after midnight.

Last year's Midnight Madness drew more than 10,100 fans and another large crowd is expected to be on hand for the 2001 edition of this popular basketball event.

Other athletic events on campus that day include the women's tennis team hosting the Gator Fall Classic at the Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex all day. The swimming and diving team hosts the prestigious SEC East Challenge in the O'Connell Center Natatorium. Diving competition begins at 11 a.m and Florida meets Georgia in a dual-meet at 4 p.m. The soccer team squares off against Duke at 7 p.m. at the Percy Beard Track.