Cats To Play Portland Before Maui Invitational

Wildcats to Play Portland this Season
UK will take on the Pilots en route to EA Sports Maui Invitational

May 28, 2010

LEXINGTON, Ky. – En route to the 2010 EA Sports Maui Invitational (Nov. 22-24, 2010), the UK men’s basketball team will make a stopover in Portland, Ore., to take on the University of Portland on Nov. 19, 2010, head coach John Calipari announced on Friday. A start time and broadcast information has yet to be determined.

In an effort to break up the long trip to Hawaii, the Wildcats signed a contract with Portland, stating that in exchange for this year’s game, the Pilots will make two trips to Lexington in the upcoming 2012 and 2013 seasons. The game is scheduled to be played in the Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trailblazers.

“When I arrived at Kentucky and first looked at the schedule, we immediately started talking about the possibility of breaking up our trip to Maui by playing a game on the West Coast,” Calipari said. “Portland gives us the opportunity to play in a great basketball city with a great venue, and more importantly, gives Terrence Jones a chance to go home and play in front of his family and friends.”

UK defeated Portland in their lone meeting, an 88-71 win in the 1990 UKIT. The game will also mark the first appearance by the Wildcats in the state of Oregon.

Fans interested in the roundtrip air charter with the UK men’s basketball team and coaching staff via Delta Air Lines from Lexington to Portland to Maui should contact Total Sports Travel at 1-888-367-8781 or send an email to info@totalSportsTravel.com.

Single-game tickets for the game will go on sale July 30 at 1 p.m. ET through all participating Safeway/ TicketsWest outlets, by calling 877.789.ROSE (7673), at ComcastTIX.com or in-person at the Rose Quarter Box Office (M-F 10a-5p local time). Ticket prices will range from $12 to $50.

Fans living in the Portland area can secure preferred seats to the event by purchasing Portland season tickets or a four-game flex pack, available now by calling the Portland Box Office at (503) 943-7525. Season tickets for the 2010-11 season will cost $195 for Upper Level Reserved and $280 for Lower Level Reserved, while flex packs are $75.