CHARLOTTE, N.C.- As the Royals men's basketball team prepares for its first nationally televised game on Saturday, the Queens campus is a buzz with its own planning and preparations for the big game. The entire campus community is coming together to participate in the big event with the Department of Athletics leading the way.
“We are really excited to offer this “Game Day” package to the student body,” said Assistant Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout. “This couldn't have happened without the partnership of so many different departments on campus.”
The Student Government Association (SGA) is sponsoring a bus to make the trip. This partnership comes just after the announcement of the SGA and the Queens Sports Marketing Association (SMA) joint project of Royals PRIDE, the reward system for fans who go to games.
All students were able to register for the “Game Day” experience on Wednesday. All riders who are members of Royals PRIDE will be awarded three points, the highest point total for a single event thus far, for riding the “Game Day” bus and attending the game.
The “Game Day” starts with catered breakfast in the Queens cafeteria sponsored by Student Life. From there the students will board buses to arrive at Pfeiffer around 10:30am. While at the game each student who arrives on the “Game Day” bus will receive vouchers for the Pfeiffer concession stand and a post-game meal of pizza and soda on the return trip to Queens.
The 45 minute bus ride to Pfeiffer will not lack any excitement as each student will receive a raffle ticket when boarding. All tickets will be entered into a drawing for many different prizes including gifts cards to local restaurants, a Queens basketball jersey and a grand prize of “Coach for a Day” with men's basketball head coach Wes Long at a home basketball game.
In addition to raffle tickets riders will be given a recently redesigned Rowdy Royals t-shirt. The Rowdy Royals is a group of students who love their Royals athletics teams. The new design was selected from a campus wide contest with Brieanna Singletary, a women's tennis player at Queens, creating the winning design.
The Rowdy Royals are hosting a pre-party on Friday night at the Ovens Athletics Center from 7pm-10pm. The entire campus community is invited to the event where they will be making posters, signage and just having a good time.
Once in the stands Queens students will have a chance to get their hands on a t-shirt commemorating the event. The t-shirts, designed by women's soccer player Sara Beth Jones, will be thrown into the Queens crowd. The Department of Athletics will also hand out rally towels, pom-poms, and signage.
The “Game Day” experience does not end after the men's game, but after the women's. The women's basketball team will take the floor 40 minutes following the end of the men's contest.
“This is just a chance for the nation to see our great athletes, but how great the Queens community is, too” said Swarthout.
