UNLV and Florida Gulf Coast Highlight
2013 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic at Orleans Arena
December 22 and 23
Featuring the hometown University of Nevada Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels, the 13th annual Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic basketball tournament returns to the Orleans Arena December 22 and 23. Florida Gulf Coast University, Santa Clara, Mississippi State, South Florida, Florida A&M University, Radford University and Sacred Heart University round out the tournament field.
Under then first-year coach Dave Rice, UNLV won the championship game of the 2011 Las Vegas Invitational at the Orleans Arena defeating No. 1 North Carolina 90-80. That victory propelled the Rebels to a 26-9 record in 2011-12 and a 25-10 mark last year. UNLV has made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and 20 appearances overall, a mark only 11 teams in the nation can match.
Florida Gulf Coast University won 14 of their last 17 games and captured the attention of the nation when they became the first 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. America’s Cinderella team of the year, FGCU first held classes in 1997 and started an intercollegiate basketball program in 2002. The University’s first full season in NCAA Division I was 2011.
Each team will play four games – the first two at campus sites and the final two at the Orleans Arena.
Two-day ticket packages start at $50, inclusive of taxes and fees, and can be purchased by calling the Orleans Arena Box Office at 702.284.7777, or by visiting www.orleansarena.com.
About Orleans Arena
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2013, The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading mid-sized arenas, and was recently ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 Internationally among venues of similar size by Venues Today Magazine. As many as 500,000 people per year enjoy a variety of 200 events annually. These include top concerts by artists like Carrie Underwood, Billy Joel, Van Halen and Blake Shelton. The Orleans Arena also hosted the 2013 Academy of Country Music Fan Jam, headlined by Brad Paisley with support from other chart-topping country artists. The venue offers a diverse calendar of events, from family favorites like Disney Live and Shrine Circus to other unique events like motorsports and mixed martial arts. The arena hosts two NCAA tournaments each year in addition to the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference basketball championships. The arena is home to three sports tenants including the Las Vegas Wranglers professional ECHL hockey team, the Legends Football League and the Las Vegas Legends professional indoor soccer team. For more information call 702-365-7469, or visit www.orleansarena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).