Sanford Pentagon to host ‘The Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase’ featuring six men’s college programs
The Field of 68, a college basketball media network bringing basketball fans premier sports content, is partnering with Sanford Sports and the Sanford Pentagon to launch a new, innovative event on the opening day of the college basketball season.
On Nov. 4, the Sanford Pentagon will host ‘The Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase,’ an event featuring matchups between six of the best programs in college basketball.
The inaugural event features the following matchups:
- College of Charleston vs. Southern Illinois - 11 a.m. CT
- Saint Louis vs. Santa Clara - 2 p.m. CT
- McNeese State vs. South Dakota State - 5 p.m. CT
Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com. General admission tickets start as low as $10 and provide access to all three games. $30 seats are also available, which include a $10 hot dog meal voucher redeemable at any concession stand. Courtside tickets can also be purchased online.
The games will be broadcast on The Field of 68’s YouTube Channel and X feeds, and the network’s popular After Dark show will go live from the Sanford Pentagon at 11 p.m. ET.
“We are honored to be involved in this event, which has some of the elite programs in the country that exist outside the sport’s traditional power structure,” Field of 68 founder Rob Dauster said. “This is a great opportunity for us to be able to provide more coverage for these teams that frankly don’t get enough. What we do at the Field of 68 is try and give teams at all levels the coverage they deserve.”
“The vision of The Field of 68 to bring together these six quality teams will set the stage for the beginning of an unforgettable season of college basketball, and we are proud to help kick it off at the Sanford Pentagon,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of Sanford Sports. “I especially want to thank all six coaches for their willingness to sign their programs up for an incredible early season test that could potentially have a massive impact during the tournament selection process.”
“This is something we felt as though we needed because of how difficult it is for all of us to schedule quality opponents. It gives us a neutral site opportunity against a high-quality Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponent,” College of Charleston athletic director Matt Roberts said. “I’m really hoping this spurs others to follow and join us in the future.”
Saint Louis is coached by Josh Schertz, who made the move to the A-10 program after a 32-win season at Indiana State a year ago. He will be joined at Saint Louis by one of the biggest stars in the sport, Robbie Avila.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of the Field of 68’s Opening Day Showcase,” Schertz said. “A great event, a great venue and a chance to kick off our season against a great opponent in Santa Clara.”
Southern Illinois head coach Scott Nagy returns to South Dakota having previously led the South Dakota State Jackrabbits through the transition to the Division I ranks. He made the NCAA Tournament three times in a five-season span in Brookings.
Current South Dakota State head coach Eric Henderson will be looking to make it to his third NCAA Tournament this season by kicking off the season against potential top-25 team, McNeese State.
These games mark the seventh NCAA Division I events announced for the 2024-25 season at the Sanford Pentagon. The Nebraska women will play South Dakota on Nov. 16 followed by the Nebraska men taking on Saint Mary’s on Nov. 17. Tickets for those games go on sale Aug. 15. The Iowa women’s basketball team will play Kansas on Nov. 20. The Iowa men’s basketball team will play Utah on Dec. 21. Tickets are still available for the men’s game at ticketmaster.com.
