Mohegan Sun Newsroom

University of Rhode Island vs. Oklahoma State
Central Connecticut State University vs. Holy Cross

Mohegan Sun Arena will be playing host to an exciting division 1 college basketball doubleheader this winter when the University of Rhode Island takes on Oklahoma State, followed by Central Connecticut State University battling Holy Cross.  The action takes place live on Saturday, January 2nd at 2:00pm beginning with the URI vs. Oklahoma State game followed by the CCSU vs. Holy Cross game at 5:00pm.

Tickets are $75.00, $40.00, $30.00, $15.00 and $10.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster.  Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge by Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. 

Last season, URI and Oklahoma State faced off in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City, with the Cowboys edging by the Rams, 86-82.

Rhode Island finished with a 23-12 record a season ago, advancing to the second round of the NIT.  Keith Cothran and Atlantic 10 Sixth “Man of the Year” Delroy James return to spark the Runnin’ Rams’ high-powered offense in 2009-10.

Oklahoma State – picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference – is led by former Massachusetts head coach Travis Ford. The Cowboys compiled a 23-12 record a season ago, advancing to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

The CCSU Blue Devils enter the 2009-10 season on the heels of a 13-17 record a year ago, but they return with all but one starter from that squad.  Junior Ken Horton, an All-Conference pick a year ago as a sophomore, leads the returners that also includes captains senior Joe Seymore and junior Shemik Thompson.  Sophomore Robby Ptacek was the third leading scorer for Central as a freshman a year ago.  Along with Horton and Thompson, Ptacek averaged more than 10.0 points per game. 

Holy Cross is coming off a 2008-2009 season in which it posted an overall record of 18-14 and finished second in the Patriot League with an 11-3 mark in conference games. The Crusaders return with four starters off of that squad, including junior forward Andrew Keister and sophomore guard R.J. Evans. Keister earned first team All-Patriot League honors last season after averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a league-best 58.8 percent (104 of 177) from the floor. Evans, the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, led the team by averaging 13.4 points per game last year, in addition to pulling down 5.2 rebounds per contest.

Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com.  For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.

The Uncas Ballroom will be showcasing all the top races on the big screens for the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships

UNCASVILLE, CT (October 14, 2009) – Mohegan Sun is set to host a special party for one of horse racing’s most prestigious events, the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Championships slated for Saturday, November 7th.  The 2009 Breeders’ Cup party will be held in the spacious and elegant Uncas Ballroom, doors will open at 10:00am.

All eight of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championship races from Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park will be showcased on the seven big screens in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.  The main and final race, the Breeders’ Cup Classic with $5 million up for grabs will begin at 6:45pm.  The Breeders’ Cup returns for a second straight year to Santa Anita.  As the richest prize-money event in sports, totaling over 25 million, the Breeders’ Cup features the best of the best in thoroughbred horses from North America and Europe.

Mohegan Sun is thrilled to be welcoming Dave Johnson and co-host Bill Finley from Sirius XM’s popular “Down the Stretch” radio show for a live all-day broadcast from the Ballroom.  Also joining the festivities will be 9-time Breeders’ Cup Champ and Hall of Fame Jockey, Chris McCarron.  Dave, Bill, and Chris will all be on-hand in the Race Book on Friday, November 6th for a meet and greet and to sign autographs.

All guests who make a $25.00 wager will receive an official Breeders’ Cup T-Shirt and with any $50.00 wager will also receive a pass to the Breeders’ Cup Buffet. Guests who choose to take advantage of advance wagering on Friday, November 6th for the Saturday, November 7th Breeders’ Cup races will receive an official Breeders’ Cup cap with a $25.00 wager.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early for Mohegan Sun’s Breeders’ Cup Party in the Uncas Ballroom as space is limited and available on a “first-come, first served” basis.  Seating will be limited to the first 1,000 customers.  Additional standing room will be available but will be limited.  Must be 21 or older to participate.

Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States.  Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country.  More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.

PBR Live in the Arena Friday, October 16th – Sunday, October 18th

The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) will bring the world’s best bull riders and bulls to the East Coast for the Mohegan Sun Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, the 31st and final stop in the 2009 season.  The top 40 bull riders will participate in three days of non-stop competition as they all vie for the final Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) event title of the 2009 regular season.  Mohegan Sun Arena will host the event with the action getting underway on Friday, October 16th at 8:00pm and continuing on Saturday, October 17th at 7:50pm and Sunday, October 18th at 12:00pm.  Each rider is competing for their chance to qualify for the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas where a $1,000,000 bonus will be awarded to the 2009 PBR World Champion. 

Tickets are available for as little as $10.00 and increase to $25.00, $40.00 and $75.00 on Friday, October 16th. On Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th, tickets will be $15.00, $25.00, $50.00 and $100.00.  Tickets are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster.  Ticketmaster customers may log on to Ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge by Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.

The Mohegan Sun Invitational will feature the superstars of professional bull riding including 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil); PBR superstars

J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, NC), Kody Lostroh (Longmont, CO), Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, OK), Zack Brown (Santa Fe, TX), and Ryan McConnel (Colgate, OK.); past World Champions Chris Shivers (Jonesville, LA) – 2000 & 2003 – and Mike Lee (Decatur, TX) – 2004; and PBR fan favorites Matt Bohon (Cole Camp, MO), Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, ID), Ross Coleman (Molalla, OR), and Luke Snyder (Raymore, MO) who holds the current record for most consecutive BFTS events attended.

The elite event will consist of four rounds of competition with the first three rounds featuring the top 40 bull riders matched against the PBR’s toughest bulls. The scores from the three rides will be combined and the riders with the top 15 scores will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round after intermission on Sunday. In the end, the cowboy with the highest total score on four bulls will be declared the winner of the Mohegan Sun Invitational!

Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com.  For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.