NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State University men's basketball program will host its 13th Annual Tip-off Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Rivers Casino Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Va. The keynote speaker is North Carolina basketball legend and 13-year NBA veteran Brendan Haywood. The evening begins at 7 p.m.
Individual tickets are $100, and tables of 10 are available for $1,000. Limited seats remain, so buy your tickets now. For tickets or more information, contact Jamal Brown at gbrown@nsu.edu.
A McDonald's All-American out of Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., Haywood played at North Carolina from 1997 to 2001, helping lead the Tar Heels to two Final Fours. He recorded the first triple-double in UNC history, posting 18 points, 14 rebounds and a school-record 10 blocks against Miami in December 2000, and he remains the program's all-time leader in blocked shots with 304. Selected 20th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, Haywood played for the Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Bobcats and Cleveland Cavaliers, and he played a key role in the Mavericks' run to their first NBA championship in 2011. After his playing career, he moved into broadcasting as a college basketball announcer for CBS Sports and an analyst for SiriusXM NBA Radio.
The evening will also include remarks from head coach Robert Jones, a preview of the 2026-27 season, and opportunities for fans and supporters to invest in the program. The Spartans return from an August foreign tour to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a roster featuring five returners, five transfers, and four freshmen.
"The Tip-off Dinner is one of the most important nights of our year because it brings together the people who make this program go," head men's basketball coach Robert Jones said. "Having someone like Brendan Haywood, who has won at the highest levels of college and professional basketball, speak to our supporters and our players is a special opportunity. We're grateful for everyone who has already bought a ticket, and we'd love to see a sold-out room on Oct. 1."
The Tip-off Dinner opens a busy stretch for Spartan basketball. Spartan Madness follows the next night, Friday, Oct. 2, inside Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Norfolk State then opens the 2026-27 regular season at home on Monday, Nov. 2, against Regent. Tipoff time will be announced at a later date.
