Miami withdraws from Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in 2008

As I requested last week on this webpage, Miami has withdrawn from the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic for 2008 and perhaps beyond. The Hurricanes have a road date set in Queens against St John's the same day as the 2008 classic is to be held. The Orange Bowl Classic, a UM oriented event its first several years has become more of a Gator home game with a hostile anti-UM crowd whenever it is played in Sunrise. UM's decision to withdraw from next year's event has nothing to do with the situation at the Bank Atlantic Center but from my perspective should become permanent. Miami has previously given up home games versus North Carolina, Temple and Louisville in signed home and home series for the sake of the OB Classic while Florida has more often than not gotten to play a "one off" game versus a selected opponents, typically over matched to please the crowd.

My sincere hope is that Miami does not return to the Orange Bowl Classic in 2009. Miami doesn't need neutral site games any longer since joining the ACC to stimulate interest in the program and is better off traveling to potential recruiting hot beds in December rather than spending time in a hostile albeit local arena instead.