Field Announced for O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off on ESPN2 and ESPNU

CELEBRATION, Fla. – Eight conferences will be represented in one of the most diverse lineups of the college basketball season when ESPN Regional Television (ERT) and ESPNU presents the 2007 O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off in November. The tournament, presented in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, will feature 12 games at the state-of-the-art Coliseo de Puerto Rico, in the cosmopolitan Hato Rey district of San Juan.

The tournament will be held the week before Thanksgiving, with the opening games set for Thursday, Nov. 15. Second-round games will be played Friday, Nov. 16, and the finals and championship game will be played Sunday, Nov. 18.

The inaugural field will represent eight major conferences, including the ACC (University of Miami), Big East (Providence), Atlantic 10 (Temple), Colonial (Virginia Commonwealth), Southern (College of Charleston), Conference USA (Houston), the SEC (Arkansas), and MAAC (Marist).

“We are very excited to bring men’s college basketball to Puerto Rico in November,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president and general manager of ERT. “The combination of eight quality basketball teams and this wonderful setting will make the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off truly a one-of-a-kind sporting event.”

For its inaugural year, sponsors for the Tip-Off will include the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The tournament will be the first of three ESPN Regional Television college basketball events in November.