#euromavs: Mavs Venture Overseas for Tour of Italy
Aug 11, 2015 | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Omaha men's basketball team embarks on its 11-day tour of Italy this week, opening Wednesday, Aug. 12 and concluding upon the team's return to the United States on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The Mavericks will stay in three cities -- Milan, Florence and Rome -- with a day trip to Lake Como also planned. UNO will play four games against foreign competition during its tour: All Star Varese on Aug. 14, Stella Azzura on Aug. 19, Isernia on Aug. 20 and Luiss University on Aug. 21.
Considerable sightseeing is also on the trip's docket, with a private boat tour at Lake Como and visits to the Duomo, the Accademia Museum, Ponte Vecchio, Santa Maria Novella, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the City Center, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The Mavericks will also have free time to enjoy Italy's offerings in cuisine and shopping, as well as optional sightseeing opportunities at the Vatican and Expo 2015 (World's Fair), among others.
Omaha's trip will be covered with a daily blog on OMavs.com, as well as video and photo posts on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The hashtag #euromavs will be utilized throughout the trip to encompass both UNO's official posts and players' experiences on social media.
During the trip, student-athletes may also fulfill an academic component, led by Dr. Bill Wakefield, UNO's Faculty Athletic Representative, and Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, Director of Professional Programs in the UNO School of Public Administration. All 15 student-athletes will conduct a comparative analysis of Italian and American cultures; upon returning to campus, most will author final papers covering the firsthand cultural experience for academic credit if their degree programs allow for it.
NCAA rules allow each team one foreign trip every four years, and this venture marks Omaha's first foreign excursion in program history.
