Midnight Madness was held at NSU last week for the first time in three years. Taking place at the Arena at the Don Taft University Center, the event kicked off the start of the NCAA basketball season, allowing for the teams to hold formal practices.
Traditionally, Midnight Madness is a way for both the players and the rest of the student body to get excited for the upcoming season.
After a video montage of the two teams, the emcee proceeded to announce the rosters of both the men’s and women’s teams. Names were called individually to give each player a chance in the spotlight as they jogged to half court.
Senior Meixandra Porter said, “My favorite part was when we were being introduced. With the lights out and the fans in the stands, it felt like a real game. It was electrifying.”
After the introductions, the teams took turns on the court to give fans a preview of the upcoming season. Both of the teams held a three-point shootout and ran a four minute scrimmage game.
Sophomore guard Danielle Robinson said, “It definitely helped get me excited for the season. It was great to see that we have so many supporters in the stands, and hopefully they will be packed for the games.”
Not only was there the introduction of the teams, but there were also ways for the fans to get involved. There were opportunities for students to come down the court and compete in a variety of activities to win prizes. The activities included musical chairs, a basketball skills challenge and a trivia game. Each activity had its own prize for the winner, including a Nike gear bag, a $500 gift card to the NSU Bookstore and tickets to the Discover Orange Bowl.
Michael Villegas, freshman sport and recreation management major, said, “I thought it had some great prizes and good activities for the students to get involved.”
Fans were waiting outside the arena long before the event began. Once the doors opened, 300 free t-shirts provided by NSU Athletics were handed out. Inside the arena, there was free food, music, and giveaways — including team spirit noisemakers, frisbees and posters — to keep the crowd entertained.
The event began with the emcee announcing a moment of silence to honor NSU student Rojeana Auriel Hall, who had died from cystic fibrosis just a few hours before.
There were also a few performances by student organizations, including NSU’s cheerleaders, NSU’s dance team — the Sharkettes — and the fraternities Phi Beta Sigma and Kappa Alpha Psi, who performed step routines.
