The first-ever Heights Week kicked off yesterday when the women's basketball team faced Miami in Conte Forum.
With seven season-making or -breaking games in seven nights, the Athletics Department launched a media campaign with television advertising on NESN and WCVB-TV Boston to promote an exciting week of college sports.
"We want to celebrate college sports and [at Boston College] it's rare that we have seven straight nights of such excitement at such a pivotal time of the year," said Jamie DiLoreto, the assistant athletics director for external relations.
Nationally televised games, contests, and giveaways will mark this upcoming week on the Heights, culminating with the UNC basketball game on Saturday that will feature ESPN College GameDay coverage. "This is the first time we've had GameDay here for basketball; we want people to come out and enjoy it," said DiLoreto.
Monday night, Boston College will face BU in the men's Beanpot finals at the TD Banknorth Garden. Kelley Rink will host the women's Beanpot finals on Tuesday night and the Eagles will square off against Duke on Wednesday at Conte Forum. Thursday and Friday will feature a back-to-back match-up between the men's ice hockey team and Maine. Men's basketball versus UNC on Saturday will wrap up what is certain to be an exciting week for BC athletics.
With such a busy schedule of home events, however, BC will face some logistical problems that will dictate how people camp out before games.
"Because we have seven straight nights of events … we have to be cognizant of events that happen the night before," said DiLoreto. "We will not allow people to pre-stage lineups until 30 minutes after the women's Beanpot game [for Duke]. Thirty minutes after the [Maine] game is completed, students can line up for UNC."
DiLoreto's office has developed a wristband system to allow those camping out before UNC to enter Conte Forum for GameDay and then return to their spot in line for the game. Students will be handed numbered wristbands in the order that they are standing in line.
Among other contests and incentives, the athletics department will distribute gold wigs to the first 2,000 students at the Duke basketball game, thunder sticks at the Maine game, and 8,606 gold shirts at the UNC game.
DiLoreto hopes the excitement surrounding this week results in a good time. "We want to have students arrive early at games, be supportive, and represent BC in a first-class manner," he said.
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