LAS VEGAS – The hometown UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and Pac-12 power Utah will headline the field for the MGM Resorts Main Event which will be played on Nov. 20-22 at T-Mobile Arena. Utah will face Ole Miss in the opening round of the Main Event while UNLV battles Rice in the first of four games on the Las Vegas Strip for the Runnin’ Rebels which also will play two games at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The Main Event tips off on Monday, Nov. 20 with UNLV-Rice at 7 p.m. PT followed by Utah-Ole Miss at 9:30 p.m. in the Heavyweight Bracket. The Heavyweight consolation game is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. with the championship game to follow at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Washington, Georgia State and Prairie View A&M will compete in the Middleweight Bracket in the afternoon session on both days (11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. game times).
“In our first year of operations, T-Mobile Arena has become a highly sought-after venue on the Las Vegas sports scene and has solidified its place as a first-class destination for college basketball,” said Rick Arpin, senior vice president of entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has decades of basketball history and has always hosted a great crowd with terrific energy. We’re excited to welcome fans from all over the country as well as our local fans as the Runnin’ Rebels take the court at T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand.”
UNLV will return to The Strip with two games while its home facility is unavailable due to the rodeo. The Runnin’ Rebels will play Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 and then face Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 9 p.m. with both games being played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The UNLV-Illinois game will benefit Coaches vs. Cancer, an initiative spearheaded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (www.nabc.com) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). Last season, the Runnin’ Rebels opened T-Mobile Arena against Duke in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer event in Las Vegas.
“We are excited to be playing in the Main Event at T-Mobile Arena and also against Oral Roberts and Illinois at the MGM Grand Garden Arena,” said UNLV coach Marvin Menzies. “Playing on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip is always a great experience for our team. We appreciate the great fan support we receive and are thrilled that our season ticket holders will have access to all of these games.”
UNLV season ticket holders will receive tickets for all four games as part of its season ticket package. Tickets for all sessions of the MGM Resorts Main Event, UNLV-Oral Roberts and UNLV-Illinois go on public sale on Monday, July 31 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at the T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand box offices, AXS.com or by calling 888-9AXSTIX. Ticket information and hotel room information for Main Event can also be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com.
UNLV fans will also have the option to purchase a four-game ticket pack at a discounted price. Four-game packs will also go on public sale on Monday at 10 a.m. at the T-Mobile Arena and MGM Grand box offices, AXS.com or by calling 888-9AXSTIX. Full info and ticket information on the UNLV games can be found at www.runninrebelsonthestrip.com.
For group sales or sponsorship opportunities, interested parties should contact bd Global at 859-951-6141.
MGM Resorts Main Event Schedule
Monday, Nov. 20
- Prairie View A&M vs. Eastern Kentucky – 11 a.m.
- Georgia State vs. Eastern Washington – 1:30 p.m.
- UNLV vs. Rice – 7 p.m.
- Ole Miss vs. Utah – 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 22
- Middleweight Bracket Consolation Game – 11 a.m.
- Middleweight Bracket Championship Game – 1:30 p.m.
- Heavyweight Bracket Consolation Game – 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
- Heavyweight Bracket Championship Game – 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
All games are at T-Mobile Arena; all times are Pacific.
Undercard Games Schedule
Nov. 10 – Prairie View A&M @ Utah
Nov. 10 – Eastern Kentucky @ Rice
Nov. 13 – Eastern Kentucky @ Mississippi
Nov. 14 – Georgia State @ Rice
Nov. 15 – Prairie View A&M @ UNLV
Nov. 17 – Eastern Washington @ UNLV
Nov. 17 – Georgia State @ Mississippi
Nov. 24 – Eastern Washington @ Utah