SAN FRANCISCO – The resurgence of San Francisco basketball continues next season when the Dons play in the MGM Resorts Main Event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. USF joins previously announced teams Louisville and Arkansas in the four-team tournament field which will be played on Nov. 20-22 and benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.
‘We are thrilled to be a part of the 2020 MGM Resorts Main Event in Last Vegas this November,” said USF head coach Todd Golden. “This is an event that draws accomplished programs from all conferences throughout the country. The field is particularly strong again this year and we are looking forward to another opportunity to show where our program is early in the non-conference season.”
San Francisco is on the verge of success not seen in more than 40 years for the program which has two National Championship banners hanging in War Memorial Gymnasium. In his first year as head coach, Golden led the Dons to 22 wins, the most since the program was reinstated in 1985. The Dons led Gonzaga at the half in both of its two regular season contests and push the Bulldogs to the bring in the WCC Tournament semifinals before falling 81-77.
“There may be no better young coach in the country than Todd Golden and he certainly has the Dons on the doorstep of being a national power,” said bdG Sports President and CEO Brooks Downing. “It’s going to be an exciting few days in Vegas for our teams and fans on the weekend before Thanksgiving.”
First-round games will be played on Friday, Nov. 20 with the consolation and championship games tipping on Sunday, Nov. 22. Pairings and game times will be announced later this summer. The event 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).
Complete tournament information can be found at www.mgmresortsmainevent.com and tournament hotel rates are available now on the site. Rates are available for Park MGM (host resort for USF), Aria, MGM Grand and New York-New York with all four resorts being within a short walking distance to T-Mobile Arena. San Francisco fans are encouraged to follow @VegasMainEvent on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and use #DonsInVegas.