RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday that it will host the inaugural UTRGV South Padre Island Battle on the Beach, featuring men's basketball games between UTRGV and Northern Arizona as well as Texas Tech and Incarnate Word, on Nov. 20 at the South Padre Island Convention Centre.
 
UTRGV will face Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. Texas Tech plays Incarnate Word at 4 p.m.
 
Fans looking to guarantee their seats for the UTRGV South Padre Island Battle on the Beach can purchase season tickets. Single-day passes will go on sale closer to the event should inventory be available once all season ticket holders are given seating equivalent to their tickets for games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Season tickets can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com or by contacting the UTRGV Athletics Ticket Office team of Seth Jones (956-665-3877) and Carlos Munoz (956-665-3747) over the phone or through email at tickets@utrgv.edu. UTRGV faculty and staff can take advantage of a 20% discount through payroll deduction by using this form and returning it to Jones or Munoz.
 
Reserved season tickets in sections B, C and G of the UTRGV Fieldhouse cost $275 each. A limited number of courtside seats are available for $350 plus a $150 donation to the V Club per seat. General admission season tickets can be purchased for $150 each or as a family four pack for $400. Family four packs can also be purchased as reserved seats in sections A and H for $750 each. Winter Texans looking to purchase reserved season tickets in sections A and H can do so for $200 each.
 
Equivalent seating will be arranged for games at Bert Ogden Arena as well.
 
Additionally, fans can choose to purchase multi-sport passes that include season tickets to volleyball, basketball, and baseball for $260 for general admission and starting at $360 for reserved seating.
 
This is the first time UTRGV men's basketball has played on South Padre Island since Nov. 27-28, 2009, playing against Chattanooga and Bethune-Cookman as part of the South Padre Island Invitational. UTRGV also took part in the inaugural tournament in 2005, playing Texas Southern and Kent State. Previously, UTRGV faced SMU on South Padre Island in 2003-04.
 
The addition of the UTRGV South Padre Island Battle of the Beach gives UTRGV two annual basketball events at the South Padre Island Convention Centre, along with women's basketball's UTRGV South Padre Island Classic.
 
"We are excited to be able to bring both UTRGV basketball teams to Cameron County for what we plan to be annual events on South Padre Island," UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "In our first year for this event, we've already attracted a top tier team in Texas Tech to participate. I think this speaks well to the future of our South Padre Island basketball events and we look forward to continuing to be active in Cameron County so we can #RallyTheValley behind UTRGV Athletics."
 
Conque has placed an emphasis on bringing UTRGV Athletics to the entire Rio Grande Valley, forming a partnership with the City of Brownsville to bring more events, including competitions, camps, and clinics to Brownsville.
 
"We're inviting everyone to please join us and make this a successful event," Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said. "We're excited about the continued partnership and future between Cameron County and UTRGV Athletics."
 
South Padre Island is a tropical oasis located off the southern tip of Texas. This barrier island offers the unsurpassed beauty of the Laguna Madre Bay and the Gulf of Mexico and is the ideal year-round destination for visitors seeking a getaway from the daily grind.
 
South Padre Island features 34 miles of beautiful white sand and clear emerald water, making it one of the world's most exquisite barrier islands – and the only tropical island in Texas. Calm weather and water and more than 300 days of sunshine make South Padre Island a great place to visit all year. When visiting during the winter, the warm sun melts away your cares as you stroll down the beach in shorts and sandals. You can close your eyes, breathe deeply, and let go of all the worries you left behind when your trip to South Padre began.
 
The average temperature range on South Padre Island on November 20 is between 67 and 73 degrees.
 
With a breathtaking view of the Laguna Madre Bay, the South Padre Island Convention Centre offers 45,000 square feet of space for meetings, conventions, conferences, trade shows, exhibits and special events. The primary facilities include 22,500 square feet of exhibit hall space with a clear ceiling height of 36 feet for large meetings and sporting events, a 2,633 square foot conference auditorium, and 9,000 square feet of breakout space. A large central lobby can also host various exhibits and functions. The Sunset Terrace adjoins the lobby, providing the perfect setting and view for an outside reception.
 
"We're really excited about the partnership with UTRGV," South Padre Island Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Ed Caum said. "We're going to #RallyTheValley. We're bringing basketball back to the Island. We're excited to be partners with UTRGV again. Book your stays now and bring the family for great basketball and a beach vacation."
 
This is Texas Tech men's basketball's first visit to South Padre Island since Nov. 26-27, 2010, when the Red Raiders faced Saint Mary's and South Florida in the South Padre Island Invitational.
 
This is the third time that Texas Tech has ever visited the Rio Grande Valley, along with a game at what was then known as the UTPA Fieldhouse on Nov. 30, 1991.
 
Texas Tech is coming off an 18-11 season that end with a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
This will be the fifth-ever matchup between UTRGV and Northern Arizona and the first since Dec. 8, 2010. This is Northern Arizona's first trip to South Padre Island and third trip to the Valley. The two previous games in the Valley were right, as they were each decided by five points.
 
This is Incarnate Word's first-ever visit to South Padre Island and just its second visit to the Valley after previously visiting the fieldhouse on Nov. 10, 2006.

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