Oct. 24, 2008
LAS VEGAS - Single-game tickets for the 2008-09 UNLV men's basketball season will go on sale to the public on Monday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m., the athletics department announced Friday.
Tickets to all 18 home games at the Thomas & Mack Center will be available for purchase on a game-by-game basis online at UNLVtickets.com, by calling 702-739-FANS (3267) or at the Thomas & Mack Center ticket office.
The Runnin' Rebels will host Washburn in an exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Tuesday, Nov. 11, before opening the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 15, against San Diego at 2:30 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Opening Day vs. San Diego, which beat UConn in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament, has been mentioned by national college basketball experts as one of the nation's key season-opening games.
The on-sale date for single-game tickets has been delayed to Nov. 3, because of the increased demand for season tickets. Season-ticket sales are 24.5 percent above 2007-08 season-ticket sales and sales have increased each week in October. Available plaza level single-game tickets - which are limited this season - will be $30 regularly and $36 for two premium games (Arizona on Dec. 20 and BYU on Feb. 21).
Balcony-level single-game tickets will be $14 regularly and $18 for the two premium games. Available single-game tickets in the endzone balcony sections will be $10 regularly and $18 for the premium games.
UNLV will also offer a new specialty ticket package this season - the new Six-Game Flex Package offers fans the chance to get balcony tickets to both the Arizona and BYU games as well as a choice of any four other home games for only $76.
Additional ticket promotions throughout the year include:
- All balcony tickets to the Nov. 11 exhibition game vs. Washburn will be only $5. Fans are invited to come watch the annual Legends/alumni game at 6 p.m. prior to the Runnin' Rebel game. At halftime of the Washburn game, the 1968, '77, '87 and '91 Final Four teams will be honored. Plans to honor the 1990 national championship team are in the works for next year's 2009-10 season (20 years later).
- In addition to the Nov. 11 exhibition game vs. Washburn, all balcony tickets will be only $5 for the Dec. 23 game against Southern Utah as well. Available endzone balcony tickets (less than 1,000 are expected to be available) will be only $5 for the following games: Nov. 18 vs. Texas-Pan American and Dec. 17 vs. Santa Clara.
- Balcony tickets for Pack the Mack Night on Jan. 17 vs. Wyoming will be only $7 if purchased online at UNLVtickets.com prior to Jan. 10.
The full 2008-09 UNLV men's basketball schedule is available at UNLVRebels.com.
All season tickets, in both donor and non-donor seating areas, are still available for purchase for the 2008-09 Runnin' Rebel season. Limited seating is available in the plaza level in both donor and non-donor areas. Balcony season tickets for all 18 home games at the Thomas & Mack Center are available for $175 and $90. For more information on purchasing season tickets, call 702-739-FANS (3267). Those interested in purchasing donor season tickets in the plaza level should call 702-895-1533.
The Runnin' Rebels have been ranked in numerous preseason top-25 rankings by a variety of publications. At Mountain West Conference Basketball Media Day, UNLV was picked to win the 2008-09 regular season title as senior Wink Adams was selected as the Preseason Co-Player of the Year and sophomore Tre'Von Willis was selected as Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
UNLV finished the 2007-08 season with an overall record of 27-8 and lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the NCAA Tournament's second round. The appearance in the NCAA Tournament was the second straight for UNLV, which advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2007, and the first time that the Runnin' Rebels won games in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments since 1990 and 1991.
UNLV finished second in the Mountain West Conference last season with a 12-4 mark for the second consecutive year and won the MWC Tournament championship, also for the second straight time.
Runnin' Rebel head coach Lon Kruger, who was named the 2007-08 MWC and USBWA District VIII Coach of the Year, is in his fifth season at UNLV after compiling a four-year mark of 91-42 (.684), including a record of 57-15 (.792) over the last two seasons. UNLV's 57 wins over the past two years ranks ninth in the country among teams that have played in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments and is the second-most victories over the last two years among teams in the West, only behind UCLA.
UNLV has a 15-game home win streak, which is the 11th-longest active streak in the country, has compiled a record of 38-3 at home over the last two seasons and has won 24 straight games against MWC opponents at the Thomas & Mack Center.
UNLV loses only two players from last season's team and has four seniors on the 2008-09 roster in Adams, Joe Darger, René Rougeau and Mareceo Rutledge. UNLV completed its summer foreign exhibition tour of Australia in July and compiled a 4-2 mark.
