Big Crowd Expected at the Bren

The crowd expected for tonight’s Big West Conference men’s basketball showdown between Utah State and UC Irvine is forcing Bren Center officials to revamp their operations.

Five ticket windows will open an hour before the 7 p.m. tip-off, business manager Kristina Engel said. In addition, students with free admissions and patrons with will-call orders will be handled at a separate entrance on the south side of the building.

Athletic department officials said they expect to fill the 5,000-seat facility tonight, a highlight in a season that has seen attendance rise with UC Irvine’s success. The Anteaters (15-2, 7-0) have won 11 in a row.

Last season, Irvine averaged 1,625 fans for 14 home dates. This season, attendance for the first nine home dates has averaged 2,018. A crowd of 4,904--largest for the Anteaters since 1996--showed up for a game Dec. 2 against California.

The Bren Center staff had only four ticket-takers on duty Jan. 13 when a large walk-up crowd swelled attendance to 3,084 for Irvine’s game against UC Santa Barbara. Fans complained that they had to wait in line up to 30 minutes to buy tickets. Some fans missed the entire first half.

“We were caught off guard,” Engel said. “But we’re definitely getting on the ball now. We’re really thrilled that the team is winning and we want to make it the best experience for the crowds.”

The Bren Center main ticket window is open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. today and prices range from $6 to $10. For information, call (949) 824-5000.

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Last fall, schedule-makers didn’t see any reason for a live television broadcast of the Utah State-UC Irvine men’s basketball game tonight at the Bren Center.

Boy, were they wrong. It is the biggest game of the Big West Conference schedule so far.The Aggies (18-2, 7-0) have won 12 in a row and 26 consecutive conference games.

“This is one game that schedulers missed,” Irvine Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said.

Instead, schedule-makers opted to show Thursday’s less-than spectacular matchup between Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. Irvine won, 66-56. Because the game began at 5:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net, it drew only 2,022 spectators.

Cox Cable Television will tape the Utah State game for later showing.

Irvine’s campus radio station, KUCI-FM (88.9), will carry the game live. It will also be available on the Internet athttps://www.kuci.uci.edu/bball.html.