A Golden Eagle Opportunity

Tickets are now on sale for ORU’s men’s and women’s basketball games.

College basketball is almost upon us, and the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles look to continue their recent run of success. Last season, both the men’s and women’s teams won the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament, which has since been renamed the Summit League. Both also earned NCAA Tournament berths.

As such, tickets for the upcoming season are in high-demand. “Our season ticket renewals are coming in at a solid rate,” mentions Mike Minyard, director of marketing in the ticket sales division. An ORU graduate, Minyard handles season and group tickets, corporate nights, sponsorships, and he helps local businesses market to the fan base.

“We’re excited for the season,” Minyard says. “Our basketball teams have made back-to-back tournaments, and Coach Sutton just signed an extension on his contract.” According to Minyard, this is probably the most talented set of teams ORU has had. “All the things that we need to do are being done so we can become a premier mid-major program,” he says.

Purchasing group tickets is a great way for businesses, churches and other organizations to get admission to sporting events at discounted prices. And group tickets can mean much more than just watching a game in the Mabee Center. “We can put together a birthday party for you,” Minyard says. “The kids can hang out with Eli, our mascot, and eat pizza and ice cream before the game.”

New for this season is the Court of Dreams ticket package, in which youth teams can play on the Mabee Center court before games. Ever popular is the Eli’s Kids Club, sponsored by Wendy’s. With membership, children ages 14 and under get the chance to be ball kids and watch the games right next to the basket, in addition to many other benefits. The Golden Eagles will also have numerous other promotions this season. Of course, all the kids love to head down to mid-court to do the YMCA with Eli every game.

The ORU men’s basketball team is returning this season after consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Although stars Caleb Green and Ken Tutt are now gone, the Golden Eagles are hoping to achieve a third straight NCAA berth. Junior college All-American guard Robert Jarvis will be joining the ORU men’s basketball team this year, which has many people enthusiastic about the upcoming season. “I’m as excited as I’ve been in a long time,” says head coach Scott Sutton. “This is the best returning class I’ve had. Certainly, this season will be a tremendous challenge, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Richard McCutchen, director of marketing in the athletic events division, has just come to ORU from the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets. His goal is to bring NBA ideas to ORU while keeping the college atmosphere.

Men’s basketball season tickets are $219 for adults and $149 for seniors. The Family Fun Zone season ticket package, which includes five seats, is $449. Individual game tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for seniors and kids. Groups of 15 people or more can get tickets for $8 each or less. Key men’s basketball home games are: November 27 against Tulsa, February 7 against Oakland, and the ESPN BracketBuster game on February 23.

The ORU women’s basketball team also looks to have a promising season. The team is hoping to repeat as conference tournament champions. Including an NCAA Tournament berth last year, the team has appeared in four of the last eight tournaments. Included in this year’s strong, non-conference schedule are home games against Missouri State and Creighton from the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Golden Eagles’ international recruiting continues to be strong, and the women are bringing back many of their key players, including Jenny Harden, a Claremore native, Rachel Watman, an Australian player in the International Basketball Federation’s Under-21 World Championship, as well as Mariana Camargo, who played for Brazil in the World University Games.

Women’s basketball season tickets are $39 for all ages. The Family Fun Zone season ticket package is $99 and includes five seats. Individual game tickets are $5, and tickets for groups of 15 or more people are only $3 per person. Key women’s home games are: December 8 against South Dakota State, December 15 against Missouri State, and December 21 against Creighton.

Visit www.orugoldeneagles.com to stay caught up on all the Golden Eagle teams, as well as to purchase tickets and view athletics schedules. Tickets can also be purchased for ORU’s men’s and women’s basketball and baseball online at www.mabeecenter.com or by calling (918) 495-6000. Be sure not to miss out on the action. Get your tickets today!

For more information, contact

Oral Roberts University

(918) 495-6000

www.orugoldeneagles.com
www.mabeecenter.com