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CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- Saluki Athletics is throwing a party at the Banterra Center on New Year's Day, and everyone's invited.

SIU will host the first-ever New Year's Day Saluki Bash, when the men's basketball program hosts Belmont in a nationally televised game on Jan. 1, at 4 p.m. 

The game will feature the largest balloon drop in Southern Illinois history during halftime, as well as festive New Year's concession items, such as champagne, sparkling wine, holiday punch, winter sangria, cranberry mimosas and mini-bundt cakes.

Doors open at 3 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans to enter the Banterra Center will receive a free, Grey Dawg bobblehead.

Fans are encouraged to wear white, as the game is billed as SIU's annual White Out contest.

To help pack the arena, Saluki Athletics will offer daily ticket specials. A limited number of tickets in bleacher-seating sections will be released to the public at ultra-discounted pricing. Fans must purchase the tickets on-line at by entering the designated promo code. Promo codes will be activated at 7 a.m. CT each day, and will last until all are sold.

Discounted tickets are only available on-line at . There is an eight-ticket limit per order, and a $4 service charge will be added to each order.

• Monday, Dec. 19: $1 tickets (enter promo code "")
• Tuesday, Dec. 20: $2 tickets (enter promo code "")
• Wednesday, Dec. 21-: 50% off select lower bowl seats + specialty drink coupon (enter promo code "")
• Monday, Dec. 26: $3 tickets (enter promo code "")
• Tuesday, Dec. 27: $4 tickets (enter promo code "")
• Wednesday, Dec. 28: $5 tickets (enter promo code "")
• Thursday, Dec. 29: $6 tickets (enter promo code "")