Oct. 5, 2007
Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University will officially tip-off the start of the 2007-08 men's and women's basketball seasons at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 12 in McDonough Arena with its annual Midnight Madness celebrations.
A national audience will view in, as the ESPN networks will cover the event live. College basketball personalities Bill Raftery and Lou Canellis will handle the on-site coverage.
The event will begin with outdoor festivities in front of McDonough Arena before moving inside at approximately 8:45 p.m. Outdoor activities will include a replay of the 2007 NCAA East Regional Final win over North Carolina, free burgers from the Georgetown University Grilling Society (GUGS), ESPNU give-away items, interactive games, AOL Rival Rants Station, EA Sports March Madness Basketball on Xbox 360, music by WPGC 95.5-FM and much, much more. Students in attendance will receive official free Nike 2007 Georgetown Basketball t-shirts to commemorate the event.
Events inside of McDonough Arena will include performances by the GU pep band and cheerleaders, Groove Theory, Georgetown Dance Team, player drills and official student Yell Practice. The highlight of the evening festivities include player introductions for both the men's and women's teams and the unveiling of the 2007 Final Four Banner, as well as speeches from Head Men's Basketball Coach John Thompson III and Head Women's Basketball Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy.
Also, for Hoya fans who are unable to attend the event, complete coverage of the festivities will air on ESPNU from 11 p.m. to midnight on Friday, October 12.
Admission to the event will be free of charge for current Georgetown students. Tickets -- for students only -- to the inside of McDonough Arena will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 6:45 p.m. the day of the event. Students are encouraged to begin lining up for tickets no earlier than 5 p.m. on Friday, October 12.
All students are encouraged to attend. Students and fans who do not receive tickets will be able to watch the entire event live from a massive 15-by-20 foot DLP projection screen with full audio in front of McDonough Arena.
Following the events on the court, there will be a "Midnight Madness: The After Show" in the parking lot of McDonough Arena from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sponsored by Hoya Blue, there will be food and refreshments for all students as well as a three-point shooting contest and prizes will be awarded for the fan with the craziest outfit and personality.
