Oregon State To Play In MGM Grand Main Event

Oregon State will play in next November's MGM Grand Main Event, adding four games against eight possible teams to its 2014-15 schedule. The announcement is only the second piece of scheduling news for next season.

Two of the games will be played in Corvallis in the first two weeks of the season against either Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Louisiana Lafayette, or two teams still to be determined. The Beavers will then advance to the Championship round, played November 24 and 26 just outside of Las Vegas, regardless of the results in those two, and will face either Oklahoma State, Tulsa, or Auburn in a semifinal and championship or consolation game. The Panthers, Ragin Cajuns, and two TBD teams will also meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for some bracket play amongst themselves.

We will have to wait until July to find out the matchups for the semifinal games, which is when ESPN does its annual "bracket reveal". The tournament will be a part of the network's "Feast Week" as Oregon State trades its traditional Thanksgiving trip to the White House for one to Vegas.

The conference announced earlier in the week a rough schedule for conference play, which you can view here. Of note, the Beavers will open and close Pac-12 play against rival Oregon. The team will only face the Bay Area and Mountain schools once, and will make its Arizona State trip the same week the Super Bowl will be played in Glendale.

While there will definitely be a lack of talent on next year's team, first year head coach Wayne Tinkle is doing a good job of drumming up some excitement by scheduling some fun games, hiring good assistants, and going after transfer players that can play immediately. Be sure to check back here throughout the summer as non-conference opponents continue to trickle out.