Perfect to compliment the most successful football season as of
late, UCLA’s official student fan club, the Den, is working
in conjunction with the men’s and women’s UCLA
basketball teams to kick off a highly anticipated 2005-2006 season
with an event called Basketball Madness.
This evening of mayhem will take place in Pauley Pavilion
tonight, from 5-7 p.m., where both the men’s and
women’s basketball teams will showcase their talents
exclusively for the UCLA student body. Admission is free with a
valid BruinCard.
“We are always looking for ways to get the students more
involved in our programs, and that’s why this is a great
idea,” women’s basketball coach Kathy Olivier said.
“We’ve done different events to try to increase fan
support, but I don’t remember the last time we’ve done
it just for the students. Normally, we open it up with the
boosters, parents, families and friends. This year it is strictly
for the students. That makes it special. The students are people we
want to get out to the games.”
The Bruins held a Midnight Madness event in November 1995, after
the Bruins had won a national title, but the event was canceled due
to low expected attendance and ineffective marketing.
This season, though, the Bruins have chosen a different approach
by hosting the event in the afternoon in hopes of achieving the
same goals ““ student involvement, more awareness, an increase
in fan support, and an overall excitement to start the season.
“Midnight events really take a toll on the teams. They
throw off the practice schedule, and the late-night environment is
conducive to things we would prefer to avoid,” Olivier
said.
The goal of both the Den and the teams is to create an
environment in which the students feel directly connected with the
teams, resulting in an increased desire to make it out to games and
support the Bruins.
“When I go out to football games, especially this season,
and see how many fans are there and how into the game they are, it
gives me goose bumps,” Olivier said. “I love seeing
that fan support, and I want that for our team as well.”
Along with the desire to create connections between the student
fan base and the teams, another aim of the event producers is to
provide the students with an exclusive sneak preview of what is to
come.
“Both the men’s and women’s teams are
preseason nationally ranked,” Den President Marc Sawyer said.
“Both teams are supposed to be amazing this season, and we
want to give the students an opportunity to get an early
look.”
Both teams have a great deal of talent, and as much as the
support of the student body is desired, the teams realize that the
most effective way to secure student support is through success on
the court.
“As much as we are begging to come out, we have that
talented team and we want the fans to want to come out and see
us,” Olivier said.
“We have huge talent this year on both teams.”
With a highly successful football season well underway, it is
indeed a prime time to be a UCLA fan, and the teams have the
insight to capitalize on the recent success in other areas of the
athletic community in hopes of attracting more spectators.
“With football being so successful this year, I think it
will help attract more fans to other sports,” Den member
Natalie Schultz said. “If basketball could feed off of
football’s success and do well themselves, I would definitely
make it a point to go to more of the games.”
Due to the nature of collegiate men’s basketball, and
without the aid of a legendary John Wooden in securing a diehard
fan base, the women’s basketball team faces a challenge
shared by many other UCLA sports teams ““ is simply getting
spectators to attend their games.
The women’s basketball team annually holds a fan
appreciation event during its season, but Olivier sees the tip-off
party as an opportunity not only to showcase the skills of both
teams, but also to rally support for her promising team.
“Our team is always saying how we want to get people out
to the games and get them hooked,” Olivier said.
“Hopefully, this effort will help draw more students to the
games.”
If viewing the talented Bruin athletes is not enough incentive
to attend tonight’s function, prizes will be awarded at
random to lucky students in the stands.
Some of these winning students will have the opportunity to
directly interact with the players.
The agenda planned for the night includes scrimmages between the
male and female teams, 3-point contests, slam-dunk competitions,
and introductions of the athletes and coaching staffs.
Though Pauley Pavilion could never house enough spectators to
come close to the numbers posted at the Rose Bowl, in the enclosed
arena the 8-clap can be just as loud and equally as thrilling.
“I can’t wait to see (Pauley) rocking,”
Olivier said. “That’s what we want to eventually have
at our school.”