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Suburban Sports Calendar for 2015

Jan. 9-11: Muskie Expo Chicago at Sears Centre Arena, featuring latest in Muskie-fishing innovations, lessons from pros, and thousands of products. Hours: 2-9 p.m. Jan. 9, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 11. Tickets: $10 with children 12 and younger free. On the web: muskieexpo.com.

Jan. 10-11: Professional Bull Riders Series, featuring the Top 35 bull riders in the world, at the Allstate Arena. Each event has a winner, and riders earn points toward the Professional Bull Riders World Championship. Hours: 7 p.m. Jan. 10; 2 p.m. Jan. 11. Parking: $13-$20. Tickets range from $20 to $134. On the web: rosemont.com/allstate/events

Feb. 1: Start your Super Bowl XLIX party, with kickoff expected at 5:30 p.m. in Glendale, Ariz.

Feb. 6-7: Professional Championship Bullriders Tour at Sears Centre Arena, featuring top riders. Hours: doors open 6:30 p.m. with 7:30 start both days. Tickets: $18-$63, with $10 for youths, and $10 parking. Web: searscentre.com/events.

March 4-8: Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament returns to Sears Centre Arena. Tickets: $15 for individual sessions, and $70 for all-session tickets if purchased before Feb. 1 ($90 after Feb. 1). March 4 session at 5 p.m.; March 5 and March 6 sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; March 7 session at 6 p.m.; March 8 session at 6 p.m. On the web: searscentre.com/events/397/

March 11-15: Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament returns to the United Center. Tickets: $200-$375 for all-session passes with lower-level seating available only through Big Ten university ticket offices, and upper level through ticketmaster.com. Games: 2 games on March 11 starting at 3:30 p.m.; 2 games on March 12 starting at 11 a.m.; 2 more games on March 12 starting at 5:30 p.m.; 2 games on March 13 starting at 11 p.m.; 2 more games on March 13 starting at 5:30 p.m.; 2 games on March 14 starting at 11 a.m.; championship game on March 15 at 2:30 p.m. On the web: bigten.org

March 14: Opening Day at Toyota Park with the Chicago Fire hosting the Vancouver Whitecaps. Game time TBD. Single-game tickets on sale Jan. 23 at chicago-fire.com

March 20-21: Monster Truck Nationals at Sears Centre Arena, featuring the Lucas Oil Monster Truck Nationals and the Bigfoot Birthday Bash and Smash Tour. Tickets: $18-$36. Hours: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a special Pit Party and autograph session, with monster truck competition at 7:30 p.m. both days. On the web: searscentre.com/events/602/

March 21: Stars on Ice competitive ice skating tour at Allstate Arena, featuring former Olympic champions Meryl Davis, Charlie White and Evan Lysacek, among others. Tickets: $25-$85, with parking $13-$20. Hours: 7:30 p.m. On the web: starsonice.com

April 2: PowerShares QQQ Challenge tennis tournament featuring John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier and James Blake competing in two one-set semifinal matches with winners in a one-set championship match. Hours: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $38, $68, $93, $128, $253. On the web: PowerSharesSeries.com

April 5: Cubs home opener vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, 7:05 p.m. New Cubs ace Jon Lester should make his Wrigley debut. Tickets at cubs.mlb.com.

April 9: Opening Day for the Kane County Cougars at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva. Cougars host the Cedar Rapids Kernels at 6:30 p.m. to start a three-game Midwest League series. Tickets starting at $9. For packages, visit kccougars.com or call (630) 232-8811.

April 10: White Sox home opener vs. Minnesota at U.S. Cellular Field. Game time TBD. Lots of new faces in the lineup, including Melky Cabrera and closer David Robertson. Tickets at whitesox.mlb.com.

April 18: The Grade III Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Racecourse in Cicero, featuring a $450,000 purse. Visit hawthorneracecourse.com for more details.

April 30-May 2: NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago. This is the first time in Chicago for this event since 1963. Round 1 takes place on April 30, with rounds 2-3 on May 1 and rounds 4-7 on May 2. No ticket information available. Grant Park and Congress Plaza will host a free NFL outdoor festival that will be open all three days.

May 1: Thoroughbred racing returns with the opening of Arlington International race course. Kentucky Derby Day is May 2, with Mother's Day racing on May 10. Tickets: TBD. Web: arlingtonpark.com.

May 23: Opening night for the Schaumburg Boomers, back-to-back champions of the Frontier League. The Boomers host the Florence Freedom for a three-game series to open a nine-game homestand. Tickets, starting at $7, available at (847) 461-3695 at a boomersbaseball.com.

May 29: Chicago Bandits opened last season on this date. The 2015 National Pro Fastpitch schedule should be released in late January or early February. Visit chicagobandits.com for the latest info.

June 5: WNBA home opener for the Chicago Sky, the defending Eastern Conference champions, at 6:30 p.m. at Allstate Arena against Indiana and former Stevenson star Tamika Catchings in her final pro season. Tickets start at $16 at wnba.com/sky or call (866) SKY-WNBA.

June 12-14: Palmer Cup golf event at Rich Harvest Farms golf club in Sugar Grove, featuring the Top 10 U.S. collegiate golfers vs. European team. No charge, and free parking. Web: palmercup.org.

June 20: ARCA Racing Series at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Nationwide champ Chase Elliot taking on rising stars. On the web: chicagolandspeedway.com. Tickets: 888-629-RACE.

July 9-12: NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet at Route 66 Raceway. Top Fuel drag racing series, Funny Car, Pro Stock and more. Tickets range from $10-$65 with four-day packages available starting at $125. Call 888-629-RACE. Schedule: TBD. Web: route66raceway.com.

July 6-12: Encompass Championship at North Shore Country Club in Glenview. A Champions Tour event featuring the top senior pro golfers. Tom Lehman is the defending champion. Single-day grounds ticket: $20, with club tickets on sale now at encompasschampionship.com.

July 9: CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament featuring Mexico's National Team at Soldier Field. This will be a Group C game during the three-week tourney. Schedule and teams TBD, and ticket information available later at concacaf.com/tickets.

July 10-12: White Sox vs. Cubs at Wrigley Field. Game 1 of the city series tentatively set at 3:05 p.m. July 10 with other games TBD.

Aug. 3-8: Western Amateur Championship at Rich Harvest Farms golf course in Sugar Grove, featuring the best amateur golfers from around the world. Field includes 156 invitees competing in stroke play leading to a Sweet Sixteen for match play competition and match play final. On the web: thewesternamateur.com.

Aug. 14-16: Cubs vs. White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Game times TBD.

Aug. 15: This is a "tentative date" for the Arlington Million that could change. Track officials have not approved their calendar for 2015. The International Festival of Racing features three Grade I races: the Beverly D., the Secretariat and The Million, plus the Grade III American St. Leger sprint. Web: arlingtonpark.com. Tickets: premium event prices TBD.

Aug. 17-23: U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields Country Club. The North and South courses will host the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf tournament in the country. Daily ticket: $25. Weekly ticket: $80. On the web: usga.org.

Sept. 13: NFL regular season begins for the Chicago Bears. Opponent, times TBD.

Sept. 14-20: BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest. The top 70 PGA Tour pros will compete for $8.25 million in prize money as part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Web: bmwchampionshipusa.com. Tickets: start at $20 for practice day rounds and $50-$60 for tournament rounds. Weekly badges are $125-$235 if purchase before April 30.

Sept. 18: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. On the web: chicagolandspeedway.com. Tickets: 888-629-RACE.

Sept. 19: Jimmy John's Freaky Fast 300, part of the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. Web: chicagolandspeedway.com. Tickets: 888-629-RACE.

Sept 20: MyAFibStory.com 400. For the fifth consecutive year, Chicagoland Speedway will kick off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. On the web: chicagolandspeedway.com. Tickets: 888-629-RACE.

Oct. 11: Bank of America Chicago Marathon, with 45,000 registered runners signing up for the 26.2-mile challenge that begins and ends in Grant Park. On the web: chicagomarathon.com.

  The top 70 golfers on the PGA Tour will compete for the J.K. Wadley Trophy at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest in September. George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com/file
  August means the return of the Arlington Million during the Arlington International Festival of Racing at the Arlington Heights track. Arlington's summer season is scheduled to begin May 1. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
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