The Ferris State University men's basketball program in conjunction with the Rebounders Club will open a new season as the Bulldogs host their second annual Tip-Off Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 29, in Big Rapids.

The keynote speaker for this year's event will be former Bulldog men's basketball player and longtime professional actor Jeff Hephner, who played at FSU from 1996-99. He has enjoyed a lengthy career on the big screen with appearances or major roles in show such as the Fox drama, Our Kind of People, along with the Stars series', Power Book II: Ghost, in addition to stints on Chicago Fire and Chicago Med.

The event will benefit the Bulldog men's hoops program as proceeds from the fundraising evening will go towards men's basketball. It will take place at the Big Rapids Eagles Club, which is located at 18361 16 Mile Road on the east side of town.

Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. (ET) with dinner starting at 5 p.m. The event will follow the men's basketball squad's alumni game, which tips off the same afternoon at 1 p.m. inside Jim Wink Arena.

The cost is $35 per person or $250 for a table of eight. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased via online registration using the direct link provided below. The deadline to purchase tickets is Oct. 20.

https://igfn.us/form/rIEw-g

The tipoff dinner will also include a silent auction and donations for items are currently being accepted, including items such as gift cards, gift baskets, getaway packages, golf packages, furniture and items of service or monetary gifts. Donations can be mailed, dropped off or picked up locally by Rebounders Club board member Jean Vallier. For additional information, please call (231) 592-9747 or email jean_vallier@yahoo.com.

For over nearly 20 years, Jeff Hephner has carved out his place in Hollywood with a career spanning television, film and also recently as the host of the wildly popular game show SWITCH, on the Game Show Network. He can currently be seen in theatres in Christopher Nolan's box office juggernaut, OPPENHEIMER. Next up, he will co-star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the much-anticipated Netflix limited series, ERIC.

Recent television credits include major recurring arcs on Apple's FOR ALL MANKIND, Lee Daniels' Fox drama OUR KIND OF PEOPLE, and Starz' POWER BOOK II: GHOST. Jeff was the lead of season 2 of Ron Howard's NatGeo series, Mars and spent two seasons on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE and CHICAGO MED. Recently on the film side, he played opposite Jennifer Garner in the STX/Lakeshore film, PEPPERMINT and Jamie Lee Curtis in the thriller AN ACCEPTABLE LOSS. Hephner starred as the title character in TNT's AGENT X opposite Sharon Stone and was the lead on the critically acclaimed Starz series BOSS opposite Kelsey Grammer.

A native of Michigan, Hephner currently makes his home there with his wife, Heather, and their three children.