Photo from Loyola University Chicago.
By Nader Issa
Loyola’s Midnight Madness event will kick off the men’s and women’s basketball seasons this Friday.
Students can catch an action-packed night at Gentile Arena that looks to feature a dunk contest and three-point contest between members of both Rambler basketball teams as well as performances from Loyola’s dance and cheer squads. There will also be a number of giveaways, including Nike gear and gift cards, and interaction with the Loyola basketball teams, according to Loyola’s athletic department.
The excitement does not end there, however. Before the night’s schedule of events begins, free t-shirts will be handed out to the first 1,000 students in attendance. Loyola students will then be treated to free pizza and free drinks.
The free giveaways are so memorable for some students that one recalls them as the highlight of his night at a previous year’s Midnight Madness.
“I look forward to it because it’s the first basketball event of the year so it’s nice to see the boys play,” said Matthew Garcia, a sophomore with an undecided major. “[Last year], my favorite part was the free shirts they gave out.”
Although Midnight Madness is primarily put on for the enjoyment of Loyola students, they are not the only ones who plan on having fun on Friday night.
“As a team, we definitely look forward to Midnight Madness because it’s the kick off to our season,” said Madeline Kenney, a sophomore cheerleader at Loyola. “It’s the first time we get to display new stunts and pyramids.”
“My favorite part of Midnight Madness is definitely the performance with both spirit teams, dance and cheer, and with some of the other athletes like men’s and women’s basketball,” Kenney said.
The food, the shirts, the contests and the performances are only parts of the grand night that will look to introduce fourth-year Head Coach Porter Moser and his men’s team along with Olympic gold medalist and three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Sheryl Swoopes and her women’s team to the public ahead of each team’s 2014-2015 season.
Midnight Madness is free of admission for Loyola students.
