PEORIA, Ill. -- For the first time since the 1981-82 NIT championship season, the Bradley men's basketball team will play a NCAA Division I opponent on campus when the Braves host their Nov. 16 home game versus Southeast Missouri State in the new Renaissance Coliseum.
The game versus Southeast Missouri State will be the second of four home games in a span of 10 days to open the 2011-12 campaign. The contest against the Redhawks will be one of three appearances by the Braves on The Hilltop during the 2011-12 season, but will be the first on-campus game against a NCAA Division I opponent since Bradley downed Tulane, 77-61, March 18, 1982 in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament at Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse.
"It's extremely exciting to have an opportunity to play back on campus," said Bradley assistant coach Willie Scott, who was the point guard for the Braves during their 1982 NIT championship season. "I have to describe it in one word.: electrifying. When we played at the Fieldhouse, we always felt like we had an advantage because everyone was on top of us. The whole game was just exciting, and I'm sure it is going to be like that.
"I think it will be great for the students, which also will be great for our players," Scott added. "I suspect there will be a lot of students at that game, and when there are a lot of students, the energy is so much greater and really adds to that home court advantage."
Bradley has played only one other regular-season game on campus since the 1982 NIT, dumping NCAA Division III Illinois Wesleyan, 81-63, Dec. 1, 1993 at Robertson Fieldhouse. Since moving its home games to the Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena for the start of the 1982-83 season, Bradley traditionally has played at least one exhibition game back on campus. This year, the Braves will host the annual Red-White Scrimmage Oct. 18, as well as its first exhibition game Nov. 1 versus Wisconsin-Parkside, at Renaissance Coliseum.
By playing the Nov. 16 game against Southeast Missouri State at Renaissance Coliseum, the 2011-12 Bradley Basketball Carver Arena season-ticket package will include 16 games for a third consecutive year. Since the move downtown, the season-ticket package has fluctuated between 13 and 17 games, hitting the high mark in only three of the 29 previous seasons -- 1993-94, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
"With our home schedule equalling the largest we have ever had in the modern era of Bradley Basketball and the opening of Renaissance Coliseum, this presents the perfect opportunity to return to The Hilltop for a game," said Bradley Director of Athletics Dr. Michael Cross. "We are very interested in improving our student attendance and experience and believe this game will create more opportunity for our students to engage our program."
Bradley is finalizing the ticketing plan for the Nov. 16 game at Renaissance Coliseum, but will reserve 1,200 seats for Bradley University students ($1 each) and those tickets will be made available starting Aug. 22 during the campus Welcome Week.
The only way to guarantee a seat in the 4,200-seat arena for any of the three men's basketball events is with a Personal Seat Option, which will go on sale Aug. 15 at the Renaissance Coliseum Box Office. PSO Applications are currently available online at BradleyBraves.com by clicking the Tickets link in the main menu and selecting PSO Information from the dropdown menu.
Each year, Bradley Athletics makes available a maximum of 500 Personal Seat Options (PSO) in Renaissance Coliseum for $500 per seat in the seating bowl or $1,000 per seat in premier leather, courtside chairs. With a PSO, fans may reserve the same seats for every ticketed Bradley Athletics event in Renaissance Coliseum from Aug. 1, 2011-July 31, 2012, while retaining the rights to purchase tickets for any outside events, excluding commencement ceremonies, in the arena in those same seats. PSO owners will receive Bradley volleyball and women's basketball season tickets, as well as tickets to each men's basketball event, in their seats. PSO owners also receive premium, reserved parking in the adjacent Main Street Parking Deck.
During the first year at Renaissance Coliseum in 2010-11, outside events included two music concerts, a performance by Tonight Show host Jay Leno, four high school boys basketball games in the annual River City Shootout and the 2011 IHSA Class 3A boys basketball Peoria Sectional.
NOTE: Bradley AD Dr. MIchael Cross will be available to discuss this announcement and other Bradley Athletics topics during a live chat tonight from 7-8 p.m. CST on BradleyBraves.com.
