DALLAS – While “the Road to the Final Four” will end at AT&T Stadium next April, the road also “begins” in Dallas at the Tip-Off Showcase on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 at American Airlines Center. The opening day of college basketball season will feature a tripleheader with Oklahoma vs. Alabama, SMU vs. TCU and Baylor vs. Colorado. The event is managed by bd Global, LLC, a Lexington, Ky.-based sports marketing firm that is also running college basketball events in Las Vegas, Houston and Southwest Florida for the 2013-14 season. This marks the third time the group has played a college basketball event at the AAC in the past four years.
“Launching a true college basketball tip-off event is not only exciting but an idea that is long overdue,” said Brooks Downing, president of bd Global, the event promoter. “We are excited to open up the new season with three great games featuring tremendous regional programs and national talent. I think this is going to be a special day in Dallas for basketball fans.”
The action tips with an Oklahoma-Alabama match-up between two teams that each won more than 20 games last season. OU, which plays football the night before at Baylor, adds six new players to a hoops squad that finished 20-12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore Buddy Hield is the Sooner’s top returner in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Alabama returns three starters from a 23-13 campaign, including leading scorer Trevor Releford (14.9 points), as well as Rodney Cooper (10.2 points) and Levi Randolph (8.1 points).
Metroplex bragging rights will be on the line when the annual SMU-TCU rivalry moves to American Airlines Center. Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown has immediately reinvigorated the SMU program and returns all five starters from last season with Jalen Jones (14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds) and Nick Russell (14.0 points and 3.8 assists) leading the way. TCU coach Trent Johnson, also in his second year, is looking for similar success in transforming the Horned Frogs into a Big 12 power. TCU returns leading scorer Kyan Anderson (12.0 points) and adds six new players to the program.
An old rivalry will be renewed when Colorado invades Dallas to face Baylor. An NCAA Tournament team last year, Colorado returns four starters with one of the nation’s best backcourts in Askia Booker and Spencer Dinwiddie. Baylor returns the bulk of a squad that won the NIT championship and touts two future pros in Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson. The rivalry between the former Big 12 foes continues to escalate with the teams splitting games over the past two years (Baylor beat CU in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and Colorado knocked off the Bears in last year’s Charleston Classic).
Tickets ranging from $29 – $199 (courtside seating), not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Thursday, Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. at American Airlines Center Box Office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by phone at 800-745-3000. Pre-sale tickets are currently on-sale for Citi cardholders at www.citiprivatepass.com and “preferred tickets” will be available for cardholders starting on Sept. 5th.
Complete event information can be found at www.TipOffShowcase.com. For group sales or sponsorship opportunities, interested parties should contact bd Global at 859-951-6141.