PEORIA, Ill. -- As the Bradley men's basketball team waits to learn its postseason fate, the University's athletic department has begun to make plans for both the NCAA Tournament and the National Invitational Tournament.
After completing their first 20-win regular-season since 1988, the Braves (21-12) were defeated in the semifinal round of last weekend's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament by regular-season league champion Southern Illinois. Bradley remains a candidate for a repeat at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament with a r?sum? that includes: a 21-12 record against the nation's 19th-toughest schedule, a 3-2 record against regular-season conference champions, eight wins away from home and a fourth-place, 10-win season in the nation's sixth-ranked conference.
Looking ahead to a potential NCAA Tournament bid, first- and second-round sites include: Buffalo, N.Y. (HSBC Arena); Chicago (United Center); Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena); Lexington, Ky. (Rupp Arena); New Orleans (New Orleans Arena); Sacramento, Calif. (ARCO Arena); Spokane, Wash. (Spokane Memorial Auditorium); and Winston-Salem, N.C. (Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum). With an at-large selection, Bradley would be allotted a limited number of tickets for the NCAA Tournament and would distribute those tickets through a priority system, which would include a lottery of 50 tickets for Bradley students.
The 65-team NCAA Tournament field will be announced Sunday during an hour-long selection show, beginning at 5 p.m. on CBS. Although the Braves will watch the show privately, Bradley will host a post-selection party at 7 p.m. at Robertson Fieldhouse if the team is selected for the “Big Dance.”
If the Braves are left out of the NCAA Tournament, Bradley does expect to receive a first-round home game in the NIT and that game would be played Wednesday, March 14 at Carver Arena. While Bradley would normally schedule the Wednesday night game for its standard 7:05 p.m. tip, ESPN owns the broadcast rights for the NIT and could move the start time if the network elects to televise the Braves.
The following plan has been devised for NIT ticket sales:
1) Ticket prices would begin at $1 for Bradley University students with valid ID and would increase to $9-12-18-25-30, based on location.
2) Bradley's 2006-07 season-ticket holders will be allowed to claim their seats at the Robertson Fieldhouse Box Office Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Season tickets that are not purchased by closing time Tuesday night will become available to the general public Wednesday morning.
3) The general public will be allowed to purchase available seats throughout the arena at the Carver Arena Box Office or through TicketMaster beginning Monday morning. The Carver Arena Box Office opens daily at 10 a.m.
4) Bradley students will need to purchase their tickets at Robertson Fieldhouse.
In addition to the plan for NIT ticket sales, Bradley is making preliminary preparations for pregame parties for both the Bradley students and the general public. Specific information on the pregame parties will be made available, if necessary, Sunday night.
After conducting a pair of successful “Red-Outs” for the regular-season home games against DePaul and Illinois State, Bradley also is planning a “White-Out” for a potential first-round NIT game. If the the Braves are selected to host a first-round NIT game, Bradley will have special white t-shirts available for $1 at Robertson Fieldhouse beginning Monday morning and at Carver Arena Wednesday night.
