March 12, 2008

Staten Island, NY - Wagner College was one of 32 winners in the NCAA Division I 'Pack the House' Challenge. Schools urged fans to 'Pack the House' for selected women's basketball games from January 1 through February 17. And pack the house, they did.

Almost two-thirds of the Division I membership - 198 institutions - participated in the effort that attracted more than 592,000 fans.

Wagner College hosted 427 fans at its women's basketball game on February 16.

Events at Duke, Louisville, Marist, Navy, Oklahoma State and Presbyterian produced sell-out crowds. Seventy other programs surpassed their single-game attendance highs from last year.

"Pack the House" is a first-year national effort in which conferences and institutions compete to build attendance. One winner from each of the 31 conferences and one from a group of independent institutions were named. Selections were based on marketing plan creativity and attendance criteria. The NCAA will award prizes and donate $500 to the nonprofit organization of each winning institution's choice.

"This is a great initiative put in place by the NCAA," said Wagner Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing Brendan Fahey. "Obviously my staff and I are honored to have been selected as the Northeast Conference winner. We look forward to participating again next season!"

"We believe the effort motivated schools to attract new fans to our game," said NCAA Vice President for Women's Basketball Sue Donohoe. "Campuses devoted additional time and resources to the competition. We are already being asked for information about next year. New alliances were formed among conference offices, member institutions and (NCAA) national office staff that will only strengthen efforts in the future."

The ideas to market the games were as diverse as the membership itself.

At Wagner College, the marketing department tied the Pack The House Challenge in with the annual Seahawks' basketball alumni day. It was also a universal basketball camp reunion, which each camper from Wagner's annual summer basketball camp receiving two free tickets. Additionally those who have registered for this year's camp received two free tickets.

New York City Sports Commission also received 200 tickets to distribute to under privileged youth on Staten Island.

Rounding out the three-prong plan, Pack the House Post Cards were created advertising $2 tickets to Alumni, Boosters and Donors while the first 100 kids received Free NEC Drawstring Backpacks.

"Our marketing strategy all season has been to focus on groups from Staten Island get them out to the games," Fahey continued. "Once we get them to a game we hope they enjoy themselves and want to come back!"

Winners of the "Pack the House" Challenge are:

CONFERENCE WINNERS

America East - Hartford
Atlantic 10 - Rhode Island
ACC - Virginia
Atlantic Sun - Lipscomb
Big 12 - Oklahoma State
Big East - Louisville
Big Sky - Sacramento State
Big South - Winthrop
Big Ten - Michigan
Big West - UC Davis
CAA - Delaware
Conference USA - East Carolina
Horizon - Youngstown State
Ivy - Columbia
MAAC - Marist
MAC - Miami (Ohio)
MEAC - North Carolina A&T
Missouri Valley - Evansville
Mountain West - Brigham Young
NEC - Wagner
Ohio Valley - Eastern Illinois
Pac-10 - UCLA
Patriot - Lehigh
SEC - South Carolina
SoCon - Georgia Southern
Southland - Texas State
SWAC - Jackson State
Sun Belt - Middle Tennessee
Summit - IUPUI
West Coast - Portland
WAC - Louisiana Tech
Independent - Longwood
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Louisville