A full slate of promotions is on tap for the University of Evansville men’s and women’s basketball teams this season.

The 5^th Annual Fan Fest presented by Heritage Federal Credit Union highlights that schedule and will take place this coming Saturday from 10:30 a.m. until the game between the UE men and Belmont starts at 12:30 p.m.  It will go on rain or shine and is inside a heated tent.  Admission is free and will take place right on Freedom Plaza outside the Ford Center.  Live music along with activities for all will be featured while food will be available for purchase.

Chick-fil-A, Kanpai, Marx BBQ, Pizza Revolution and the Boy Scouts will all have food available while Carson’s Brewery will have craft beer.

Several other great promotions will take place this season at men’s games, including Dec. 12 against Mississippi Valley State when the Flying Houndz Frisbee Dogs will perform at halftime.  West Side Wednesday will be held on Dec. 30 as discounted tickets will be available at select locations on the west side of Evansville beginning on Dec. 14.

The Jan. 12 contest versus Drake will be the annual visit by fan favorites the ZOOperstars.  That game also has $5 tickets available with a Courier & Press coupon that will be available in the days before the game.

Military Appreciation Night will be on Jan. 19 against Loyola while the Feb. 27 game against UNI will mark Senior Night as D.J. Balentine, Egidijus Mockevicius and Adam Wing will play their final regular-season home game at the Ford Center.

On the women’s side, the home opener on Dec. 5 will be Royalty Night as kids dressed as princes or princesses will receive a $3 ticket.  A week later on Dec. 12 versus UT Martin, there will be a teddy bear toss at halftime with all bears collected being donated to Deaconess Riley Hospital for Children.

A Military Appreciation Night will take place on Dec. 21 against Ball State while other promotions include: Home Town Night (1/10 vs. Bradley), Diversity Night (1/29 vs. Illinois State), Alumni Game (1/31 vs. Indiana State), Pink Game for breast cancer awareness (2/14 vs. SIU), Youth Day (2/21 vs. Missouri State – clinic run by UE coaching staff will be held after the game and March 5 is Senior Day.

The Evansville IceMen, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators and AHL’s Binghamton Senators, and Head Coach Al Sims announced Wednesday that IceMen Assistant Coach Johan Lundskog will be leaving the team indefinitely for personal reasons.

The first-year Assistant Coach is returning to his native Sweden to be with his family and will not be on the bench tonight when the IceMen host the Alaska Aces at 6:15pm at the Ford Center. The entire Evansville IceMen organization supports Lundskog’s decision, wishes his family the best, and hopes to have him back in Evansville soon.

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