For those adventurous enough to make the over 17-hour journey, tickets for the Longhorns’ men’s basketball season opener against Washington in Shanghai, China, are now on sale, thePac-12 announced Monday.
The game, which will be played on Nov. 13 at 9 p.m. Central time, is the first regular-season competition — in any U.S. sport, collegiate or professional — to take place in China.
“We are fortunate to be working with the Pac-12, AEG and HUPU to make meaningful connections with our international fan base, provide cultural education opportunities to our student-athletes and build valuable relationships,” Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said.
The contest will be the first regular-season game for new head coach Shaka Smart. Smart, who came to Texas from Virginia Commonwealth University in April, will debut his “Havoc,” up-tempo system for a Texas team that returns all but two starters from last year. Junior guard Isaiah Taylor, who led the team in 2014 with 13.1 points per game, will likely facilitate the offense. Senior center Cameron Ridley, who had 1.8 blocks per game in 2014, will back him up down low.
Meanwhile, Washington will look to turn things around after a mediocre 16–15 season, including a 5–13 record in Pac-12 play last year. The Huskies’ lineup will feature an almost-entirely new set of faces. Since last season, eight Washington players have graduated, transferred or were dismissed from the team.
Last year, the volleyball team hosted two matches in October against Zhejiang, a top Chinese club team. Before those games, the men’s basketball team hosted a meet-and-greet lunch with the Zhejiang players and coaches.
Texas will make its home regular-season debut against Texas A&M—Corpus Christi on Nov. 21.
Date: Nov. 13, 2015
Travel Time: 17 hours, 15 minutes by plane
Location: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai, China
Cheapest Ticket: $12.47
Most Expensive Ticket: $121.58
Buy Tickets: http://en.damai.cn/event/tickets_87496