News

Tickets on Sale for SEC/BIG EAST Invitational at Sommet Center

2008-09-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn., (September 19, 2008) - Tickets for the second annual SEC/BIG EAST Invitational, including two games at the Sommet Center in Nashville, will go on sale Friday, September 19, at 10:00 a.m. CT. The two-night men's college basketball event takes place in two cities, with a doubleheader Tuesday, December 16, in Nashville followed by a doubleheader Thursday, December 18, in Cincinnati. The schedule at the Sommet Center will feature Vanderbilt taking on South Florida at 6:00 p.m. CT, followed by Tennessee facing Marquette at 8:30 p.m. 

"The Nashville Sports Council is very excited to partner with ESPN Regional Television to host this great basketball doubleheader," said Scott Ramsey, President and CEO of the Nashville Sports Council, which will host the December 16 event. "The SEC and BIG EAST are two of the premier conferences in men's college basketball and we look forward to showcasing their programs to a national television audience live from Nashville."

Fans who wish to attend the December 16 doubleheader at the Sommet Center in Nashville can purchase tickets online at www.TicketMaster.com or charge by phone by calling the Sommet Center box office at (615) 770-2040. Prices are $32.50 for upper level seating, $47.50 for lower and club levels and $17.50 for college students.

ESPN2 will televise Vanderbilt vs. South Florida on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:00 p.m. CT from the Sommet Center, while ESPN will feature Tennessee vs. Marquette at 8:30 p.m. Also part of the event is a December 18 doubleheader at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, featuring Cincinnati vs. Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, followed by Louisville vs. Ole Miss at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN. Teams invited to participate in the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational are chosen by ESPN in consultation with the conferences and are based on geographic and competitive criteria. 

The BIG EAST and SEC have combined to produce four of the last six NCAA Men's Basketball Champions (Florida - 2007 and 2006; Connecticut - 2004; Syracuse - 2003) and seven of the last 13 national champions (Connecticut - 1999; Kentucky - 1998 and 1996). In the 2007-08 season the SEC qualified six teams for the NCAA Tournament, including Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The BIG EAST sent nine teams to the NCAA Tournament, compiling a 13-6 record, led by Louisville advancing to the Elite Eight.

ESPN Regional Television/Event Ownership The nation's largest syndicator of collegiate sports programming, ESPN Regional Television (ERT) annually produces more than 900 sporting events. Programming includes football, basketball, NCAA events, golf and NHRA events accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours of programming. In addition to event ownership, ERT is the production headquarters for ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network; syndication rights-holder and producer of national, regional and local shows for college conferences (e.g. - BIG EAST, Big 12, Mid-American, Sun Belt, WAC).

ESPN Regional Television markets and/or owns several other sporting events, including collegiate football events: the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl; The Home Depot College Football Awards; the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney; the New Mexico Bowl; the Papajohns.com Bowl; the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl; the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl; and the St Petersburg Bowl; collegiate basketball events: the 76 Classic (Anaheim, Calif.); the Charleston Classic (S.C.); the Old Spice Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); the O'Reilly Auto Parts All-College Basketball Classic (Oklahoma City); the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan); the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters; and the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational; as well as the ESPN National Golf Challenge presented by Callaway. For more information, visit bigeastinvitational.com or www.espnplus.com.

The Nashville Sports Council is a private, non-profit, membership-based organization of area corporations and individual sports enthusiasts.  Created in 1992, the Nashville Sports Council’s mission is to positively impact the economy and quality of life of the Greater Nashville Area by attracting and promoting professional and amateur sporting events.  The Nashville Sports Council has hosted more than 120 events that have produced over $340 million in direct economic impact and is The Driving Force of Sports in Nashville.  For more information, call 615.743.3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com.

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