Pairings announced for 2016 MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas

Third-annual Thanksgiving tournament headlined by Alabama, BYU, St. Louis and Valparaiso

TICKETS

LAS VEGAS – Four 20-win teams highlight the fields for the third-annual MGM Grand Main Event tournament, which consists of two four-team brackets to be played November 21-23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Heavyweight Bracket includes Alabama, BYU, Saint Louis and Valparaiso while the Middleweight Bracket will feature Ball State, Coastal Carolina, Coppin State and Southern Utah. Tickets for the event, starting at $25 per session, are scheduled to go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 17, at noon PT. 

“Year over year we continue to grow the MGM Grand Main Event with top quality programs,” said Brooks Downing, president of bd Global (www.bdglobalsports.com), the event promoter. “This year there’s so many storylines, all of which adds an extra layer of intrigue to our event: from BYU’s first appearance in the tournament and its strong fan base, to Saint Louis coach Travis Ford whom has never lost at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, to the return of Coach Todd Simon with his new squad at Southern Utah.”

The full schedule for the tournament games at MGM Grand is as follows:

MIDDLEWEIGHT BRACKET

Monday, Nov. 21 
12:30 p.m. – Ball State vs. Coppin State
3 p.m. – Coastal Carolina vs. Southern Utah

Wednesday, Nov. 23
12:30 p.m. – Ball State vs. Southern Utah 

HEAVYWEIGHT BRACKET

Monday, Nov. 21
6:30 p.m. – Saint Louis vs. BYU
9:00 p.m. – Alabama vs. Valparaiso 

Wednesday, Nov. 23
6:30 p.m. – Consolation Game
9:00 p.m. – Championship Game (ESPN2)

The championship belt, one of the most unique trophies in college basketball, will be hotly contested among the Heavyweight teams. BYU won 26 games last season and will be the local favorite given its strong alumni base in the region. Second-year coach Avery Johnson is leading the resurgence at Alabama and has immediately upgraded the talent for the Crimson Tide. A pair of new coaches will lead Saint Louis and Valparaiso. Ford, the former Oklahoma State coach, is unbeaten at MGM Grand after leading OSU to the Heavyweight championship in the inaugural Main Event in 2014 and to an MGM Grand Showcase victory over Colorado in 2013. Matt Lottich takes over a Valpo team that won a school-record 30 games last season. 

Alabama’s Avery Johnson said, “We wanted to find a tournament that will challenge us in the non-conference portion of our schedule and the MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas will do just that.  We open against a very good Valparaiso team and then we will play either BYU or Saint Louis, so this is going to be a good test for us. We are looking forward to being a part of this event.”

BYU coach Dave Rose echoed those sentiments as he looks to lead his Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 12 seasons in Provo. “We are very excited to have our team participate in the MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas this fall. It will be a great opportunity for our young team to play some high quality competition and get ready for our league schedule.”

The Middleweight division features a modified schedule in Vegas headlined by two teams that won 21 games a year ago in Coastal Carolina and Ball State. Former UNLV Associate Head Coach Todd Simon also returns to the Valley as the new head coach of Southern Utah. 

Undercard Games

Prior to the games in Vegas, a slate of “Undercard Games” will be played at home sites:

• Friday, Nov. 11 – Ball State @ Saint Louis

• Friday, Nov. 11 – Coastal Carolina @ Alabama

• Friday, Nov. 11 – Southern Utah @ Valparaiso 

• Monday, Nov. 14 – Coppin State @ Valparaiso 

• Monday, Nov. 14 – Southern Utah @ Saint Louis

• Wednesday, Nov. 16 – Coppin State @ Coastal Carolina*

• Thursday, Nov. 17 – Coppin State @ BYU

• Friday, Nov. 18 – Ball State @ Alabama

• Saturday, Nov. 19 – Coastal Carolina @ BYU

*Due to a late scheduling conflict, this game was originally to have been played in Las Vegas but now will be played at Coastal Carolina.

Ticket and Hotel Information

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 17, at noon PT and can be purchased at the MGM Grand box office, MGMGrand.com, AXS.com, MGMGrandMainEvent.com or by calling 888-9AXSTIX. Hotel rooms at MGM Grand are also available for fans at the tournament rate with booking info available at MGMGrandMainEvent.com.

For complete information, visit www.mgmgrandmainevent.com or follow on Twitter at @NeonHoops. 

About bd Global

bd Global, LLC is a representation, event management, and public relations firm operating on an international platform within the sports marketing industry. bdG manages multiple college basketball events in the United States each season, and previously has managed events across North America and the Caribbean, including college basketball events in Phoenix, Boston, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Southwest Florida, Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas. www.bdglobalsports.com. 

About MGM Grand Garden Arena

The Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 14,000 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound.  

The Grand Garden Arena is known for hosting legendary events such as world championship boxing featuring the legends of the sport – Floyd Mayweather, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and many more. The venue also has been home to many premier UFC fights.  Music lovers have experienced some of the industry’s biggest stars at the Grand Garden Arena including performances by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert.  The Grand Garden Arena also hosts a variety of special events and sporting events annually including major awards shows, college basketball, pre-season NHL and NBA games, among others. The Grand Garden Arena is operated by a joint venture, the interest of which is owned 50% by a subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and 50% by a subsidiary of AEG that also owns and operates T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.