CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos take a page out of the 1980s playbook this weekend, reinstating a long-standing pre-season men's basketball tournament in Calgary with the inaugural Calgary Cup.

Co-hosted by Mount Royal University, the Calgary Cup brings eight teams from across the country – including three local schools with the Dinos, the MRU Cougars, and the SAIT Trojans – for one of the biggest non-conference events in the country.

“We haven't hosted a whole lot of preseason events in the past, and I think it will really benefit us to play in our own gym more regularly,” said Dinos head coach Dan Vanhooren. “To have an eight-team tournament is also a big deal. There aren't too many of those around, and with the partnership with Mount Royal I really think we can make this grow and make it something that's long-lasting and has some sustainability.”

Western, Brock, and Windsor are all paying a visit, while Saskatchewan and UBC Okanagan are the other Canada West schools in the inaugural event.

“It's huge to get teams from out east to come here,” said Vanhooren, “and it allows a stronger level of knowledge across the nation when we play each other more often, and then our national rankings mean something more than if we play only one or two games against teams outside our conference. It helps the game in the country that events like this are happening.”

The event opens at 4 p.m. Thursday when Saskatchewan plays SAIT at MRU's Kenyon Court. The Cougars take on the Windsor Lancers immediately following that contest at 6 p.m. Up Crowchild Trail at the University of Calgary's Jack Simpson Gym, action gets underway at 6 p.m. with Brock taking on UBC Okanagan, followed by the host Dinos meeting the Western Mustangs at 8 p.m.

The single-elimination tournament continues through the weekend. Semifinals go Friday night, one at each host location, with the third-place game and the final set for Saturday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.

For more information on the event, including the full schedule, visit www.goDINOS.com/CalgaryCup.

-UC-