UTSA athletics is always a step behind the competition.
Homecoming is missing a major event to complete the week and build momentum for the upcoming football game, and we need all the momentum we can get.
UTSA has yet to announce any type of “Homecoming and Hoops” or “Midnight Madness” style event for the basketball teams, which could easily be the shot of excitement the campus needs to prepare for the most anticipated basketball season in recent UTSA history.
Homecoming and Hoops is essentially a pep rally for both the basketball teams and the football team. It should be held late Friday night build excitement for all three teams. Both basketball teams should scrimmage in front of a full crowd of students. A large number of college basketball teams have this event during their homecoming week build more comradery amongst the fans and athletes.
Kansas basketball was recently in the news for the “controversial” performance by Snoop Dogg during their version of Homecoming and Hoops. UTSA does not have to spend a Kansas amount of money to make this a must-attend event on campus.
Athletic programs like Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Kansas and plenty of others turned this event into a roaring success. To ensure a large turnout and an electric atmosphere, UTSA needs to incentivize students, especially those in fraternities and sororities, to come to this event.
Both groups are known for skipping sporting events, which is evident from the poor turnout for the football game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Creating a “Roadrunner Cup” that a combination of fraternities and sororities could win will bring them out to the event. As the last portion of the “Roadrunner Cup,” whichever team makes the most noise can earn points for their team. This challenge, which can span weeks before homecoming, would guarantee participation from a large number of students.
This late night event will allow the football coach to address the student body directly and ideally boost attendance for the next day.
Currently, there are no other Conference USA (C-USA) schools that have scheduled this type of event, so UTSA should capitalize. As long as UTSA puts the resources, time and energy into making this type of event as grand as it should be, then this is a no-brainer.
This UTSA basketball season is the most important in history. The men’s team can compete for a C-USA championship, but poor turnout to home games could be crippling to their chances at that title. Build the hype, Lisa Campos! Put the best that UTSA athletics has to offer on display. It’s not too late to create this event before the season begins. Make the right decision and bring the rowdiness back to the Convocation Center.
