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Dixie State to host Las Vegas Challenge at Orleans Arena in December
SAINT GEORGE, UT – Dixie State College will host
the Las Vegas Challenge Men’s and Women’s Division II
Basketball Tournament on December 18 and 19, 2012, at the Orleans
Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Red Storm athletic department made the announcement on Jan. 17 from its campus in Saint George, Utah.
This NCAA basketball tournament will include men's and women's teams from Dixie State, Central Missouri and Pittsburg State, along with the men’s team from Arkansas-Ft. Smith and the women’s team from Academy of Art.
"To be able to have this inaugural tournament in such a first-class venue and setting will be a fantastic experience for the student-athletes and the fans," Dixie State Athletic Director Jason Boothe said. "We are honored to be the host and hope to make it an annual event. It should allow fans from all teams a great opportunity to visit Las Vegas, maybe get some last-minute holiday shopping done, and see some exceptional Division II basketball."
Darren Davis, director of the Orleans Arena, said, “The Las Vegas Challenge will be a great addition to the event calendar, and furthers our reputation as a basketball tournament destination. We are looking forward to hosting the teams, fans and alumni this December, and our hope is that they will have the same great experience as other tournament attendees over the last few years.”
Game times will be Noon, 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 18, and 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012.
Match-ups are as follows; times and teams are subject to change:
December 18
- Men - Dixie State vs. Central Missouri
- Men - Arkansas-Ft. Smith vs. Pittsburg State
- Women - Dixie State vs. Central Missouri
- Women - Academy of Art vs. Pittsburg State
December 19
- Men - Dixie State vs. Pittsburg State
- Men - Arkansas-Ft. Smith vs. Central Missouri
- Women - Dixie State vs. Pittsburg State
- Women - Academy of Art vs. Central Missouri
Single-day tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets will go on sale this summer. Tickets can be purchased online at www.orleansarena.com, by calling 888-234-2334, or by visiting any Coast Casinos box office location.
The Orleans Arena - a Boyd Gaming facility located just off of the Las Vegas Strip - has become a leading college basketball tournament venue since 2006 when it first hosted the annual Las Vegas Invitational. That event featured a showdown between defending national champions Florida and top-ranked Kansas.
Since then, The Las Vegas Invitational and Las Vegas Classic in November and December, respectively, have become annual tournaments for top-ranked college basketball programs.
Additionally, the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference have hosted their tournament championships at the facility.
