Nevada hoops exhibitions to raise money for CA fire victims

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s men’s basketball team will play an exhibition game against Grand Canyon University in Reno Sunday afternoon to raise money for victims of the wildfires in Northern California.

Nevada Athletic Director Doug Knuth said Wednesday net proceeds from the game against the school from Phoenix will be donated to North Bay Fire Relief through the nonprofit Redwood Credit Union Community Fund in Santa Rosa.

It’s one of more than a dozen games Division I basketball programs have scheduled after the NCAA granted a waiver allowing teams to play an extra exhibition if the profits go to disaster relief.

Nevada officials say Reno-based developer and investor Basin Street Properties will match all money raised from the $5 ticket sales at the 4 p.m. game at the Lawlor Events Center. The school’s concessionaire, Sodexo, will donate half its net sales.