Syracuse formally announced its ‘Early Midnight Madness’ festivities, to be held Friday, Oct. 19 at Manley Field House. Gates will open at 7 p.m. and the event will begin at 8 p.m.

ESPN basketball analyst Bill Raftery will serve as master of ceremonies for the evening. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will participate as well as the Syracuse cheerleaders and pep band. A number of promotional activities are also planned.

Admission is free, but a ticket is required to enter Manley. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and there is a limit of four tickets per person. Students can pick up tickets Saturday at the Carrier Dome box office, Schine student center or on the Quad before the Syracuse-Rutgers football game.

A Syracuse athletics spokesman declined to tell the number of tickets that will be distributed.

It’s the first time Syracuse is hosting a Midnight Madness event since 1994. The first official day of practice is this Friday, and Syracuse’s first regular season game is Nov. 12 against Siena in the Preseason NIT.

-compiled by Matt Gelb, sports editor