BYU nominated for 'Best road trip destination in college basketball'

Watch Videos, View Photos and Vote for Your Favorite of the 10 Finalists at: Facebook.com/BestofCollegeBasketball 

CHICAGO – BYU is nominated for “Best Road Trip Destination in College Basketball presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car”, Intersport announced today. Voting for the 10 finalists opened today with the winner to be completely fan-determined through Facebook voting at: Facebook.com/BestofCollegeBasketball. Fans can vote once per day until January 25.The winning school will be featured in GEICO Best of College Basketball on Saturday, April 6 on CBS.

The 10 finalists were chosen based on a wide range of categories including in-game atmosphere, history of the program, pre- and post-game events, scenery and attractions of the town and many more. Fans can visit the Facebook page to view videos and photo albums showcasing why each school is a perfect college basketball road trip destination.

BYU's campus is beautiful year-round, whether it’s in the spring with green grass and blooming flowers or in the winter with snow-topped trees and majestic mountains serving as a backdrop. While there are plenty of activities happening all over campus, the real action is at the Marriott Center when there's a basketball game. For a Saturday night game, students can be found camping out as early as Tuesday evening for the best seats in the student section, nicknamed the ROC (Roar of Cougars). The students and the rest of the fans make for a loud and exciting atmosphere that has helped the Cougars win better than 93 percent of their home games under current head coach Dave Rose.

The other nine finalists are:

• College of Charleston – Charleston, S.C.
  • Known as “Giant Killers,” the Cougars and their raucous fans are no strangers to big wins. Plus, the campus sits a mere 12 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
• Creighton University – Omaha, Neb.
  • Creighton is college basketball at its best - fantastic fans, wonderful venue, and a top-ranked team.  McDermott fever has captured Bluejay Nation and Omaha - the heart of the Midwest.
• Harding University – Searcy, Ark.
  • The Bison’s Rhodes Field House is one of the most unique arenas in college sports. A converted World War II airplane hangar, it’s now one of the premier arenas in Division-II and hosts the famous Rhodes Rowdies.
• Indiana University – Bloomington, Ind.
  • Steeped in basketball history, Indiana’s Assembly Hall is regarded as one of the most prestigious arenas in college basketball.  
• University of Arizona – Tucson, Ariz.
  • Season tickets to the McKale Center have sold out for 25 consecutive years, which helps provide one of the finest game-day atmospheres in college basketball. Plus, the cool Tucson nights, cultural events at the UA Centennial Hall or historic Fox Theater, youthful hotspots on 4th Street and unparalleled sunsets ensure something for everyone.
• University of Memphis – Memphis, Tenn.
  • Memphis is well known for its incredible food and vibrant music scene; it’s also filled with college basketball super-fans who love their Tigers.
• West Virginia University – Morgantown, W.V.
  • Morgantown, West Virginia is home to people as rock solid as the mountains for which the state is known. And the signing of John Denver’s “Country Roads” after a big provides the perfect ending to game-day at the Coliseum. 
• Wichita State University – Wichita, Kan.
  • Wichita, the Air Capital of the World, has something for everyone as well as an incredible game-day experience. Plus, being an urban college, the tradition of WSU is not just limited to campus, but spreads throughout the entire city.
• Xavier University – Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Xavier is one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. Its home arena, the Cintas Center, averages more than 10,000 fans a game. Cincinnati also offers famous Skyline Chili and impressive nightlife in Mt. Adams, The Banks and Fountain Square.

Vote and find out more about the finalists at: Facebook.com/BestofCollegeBasketball or Facebook.com/EnterpriseRentACar. 

For questions about the Facebook competition or the CBS show, contact Nick Owen at nowen@intersportnet.com or 312-467-2826. 

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Founded in 1957 and known for an extensive network of home-city and airport locations, everyday low rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand that has been named to BusinessWeek magazine’s annual list of “Customer Service Champs” in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition, Enterprise won Budget Travel magazine’s 2010 and 2011 Readers’ Choice Award as their favorite rental car brand for customer service around the globe.  With more than 5,500 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, Enterprise operates more than twice as many locations as its nearest U.S. competitor and continues to lead the home-city market. Enterprise Rent-A-Car operates not only as a key provider for insurance replacement, weekend getaways and special occasions, but also as a local transportation alternative.

About Intersport

Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports and entertainment based marketing platforms. Intersport provides turnkey solutions for global brands by combining two award-winning divisions: Sponsorship & Event Marketing and Television & Digital Media. To learn more about Intersport, log on to www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/IntersportBuzz) or follow us on Twitter (@IntersportBuzz).