Free steaks for 15K students if N. Kentucky tops Kentucky

CINCINNATI (AP) A Cincinnati-area restaurateur says he'll buy steak dinners for Northern Kentucky University's 15,000 students if the men's basketball team wins its first-ever NCAA Tournament game by beating No. 6-ranked Kentucky.

Jeff Ruby says the promise could cost him and his steakhouse big if the underdog Norse topple the Wildcats, who are seeded second in the South Regional, on Friday in Indianapolis. But, he says it's important to support hometown organizations and he sees Northern Kentucky as an asset to the area.

The school is a first-timer in the NCCA Tournament. It won the Horizon League championship and the league's automatic bid in its first year of eligibility for the tournament. The one-time Division II power made the jump to Division I five years ago.