LAS VEGAS – Playing each other for the first time in 25 years, Duke and UNLV will renew its rivalry before a capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 10. bd Global, the event promoter, announced today that reserved seating tickets are sold out and a limited number of standing-room-only tickets are now on sale. The available tickets, priced at $20 each, are along the rail behind the 100-level sections.
The event, presented by Nevada State Bank and benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, pits the two iconic programs in the first college basketball game in the new arena and against each other for the first time in 25 years since battling in consecutive Final Fours in the early ‘90s. ESPN will televise the event which is scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m. PT.
“The excitement surrounding this game has been exceptional as evidenced by the ticket demand,” said Brooks Downing, President & CEO of bd Global. “It’s a game Runnin’ Rebels fans have been waiting to see for 25 years and the first game ever played in the world’s finest arena. I can think of no better way to christen T-Mobile Arena to college basketball and establish the brand of ‘Neon Hoops’ than with Duke vs. UNLV on ESPN with Hall of Famer Dick Vitale behind the microphone.”
Capacity for this game at T-Mobile Arena is 17,621, not including suite holders, and organizers are utilizing every space in the facility to maximize the “must-see” game. The teams first met in the 1990 Final Four where UNLV captured the school’s lone national championship by beating the Blue Devils by a national title game-record 30 points. The following season, the Runnin’ Rebels started the season 34-0 before facing Duke in the national semifinals in Indianapolis. In one of the most monumental upsets in NCAA Tournament history, Duke knocked off the Rebels 79-77 and then won the first national championship for Coach Mike Krzyzewski two days later.
The event, now in its fourth year after previously being played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, benefits Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).
The standing-room-only tickets can be purchased at the T-Mobile Arena box office, t-mobilearena.com, AXS.com, UNLVDuke.com or by calling 888-AXS-TIX.
For complete information, visit www.unlvduke.com or follow on Twitter at @NeonHoops.