Electricity is in the air.

In fact, it has been surging through our building since Monday night when our men's basketball team beat Hartford to advance to the America East championship game. These are indeed exciting times as we prepare for this Saturday's title game at Island Federal Credit Union Arena. Our campus and entire community have rallied around the team, leading to sellout crowds for the last two regular season games as well as the two America East Playoff games that we have hosted. Saturday will bring another full house and enough electricity to power all of Long Island.



Saturday's game is unique for many reasons – not the least of which is the opportunity to advance to the NCAA Tournament, but enough will be said about that over the next two days. With a national broadcast on ESPN2, the early tip time of 11 a.m. (11:01, to be exact) and coordination with America East staff are just some of the many variables in play for a championship game like this. Despite the differences this Saturday, there will be the same solid structure and synchronicity that is in place for every event at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.

If you have ever wondered what goes in to an event like a basketball game, let me tell you that it all relies upon a very sound structure – from the time that the security and events staffs report for duty to the time of the national anthem. The activity starts hours before the teams actually take the floor. It may only be Thursday, but allow me to pull back the curtain and give you a behind the scenes of what will go in to putting on Saturday's championship game.

Several conference calls and meetings have already taken place earlier this week, but the actual event operation begins in earnest on Friday. Beginning tomorrow at 7 a.m., the VIP parking lot behind the arena will be staffed and closed to general parking. Over the course of the next several hours, the frenetic pace picks up as both teams conduct their practices, the ESPN truck and crew arrive on campus and our facilities staff work to set up the arena. As if there isn't enough going on, our staff must prepare to host a baseball game at 2:30 and a men's lacrosse game at 6.

Serving as the conductor of the three-ring circus known as game day is our Associate Athletic Director for Facilities, Operations and Capital Planning Adam McLeod. Adam and his staff are always the first ones on the scene and last ones to leave; they are the true unsung heroes of the operation. With tipoff at 11:01, they will arrive well before the sun comes up. By 7 a.m., the scoreboards and shot clocks have been tested a final time, the television crew is in place and the custodial staff does its walk through to make sure that the arena is spotless and ready to go.

Between 8 and 9:30, the mechanics of the game day machine start to buzz at a higher volume. Our facilities staff will meet both teams and game officials to escort them to their respective locker rooms, which are secured well in advance of tipoff to ensure that unauthorized access is not granted. Campus police, 20 additional security guards, 28 ushers and 10 ticket takers will arrive and, following a final security briefing at 9:45, all will move in to place to prepare for the doors to open at 10.



By this time, the energy of game day will be pulsing at an incredible level. This is when the work of our external team shines the brightest. Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing Chris Murray, by this time, will be scrambling around managing the bands and spirit squads of both schools as well as the coordination of all pregame activity including the national anthem and starting lineups. (Chris pulls double-duty as our in-arena host and announces the starters for our team – "and at center… a 6-foot-8 senior from Plainfield, New Jersey… number 20… Jameel Warney!"). Since the game is sold out in advance, the ticket office staff under the leadership of Crystal de la Parra will be set up to fulfill all will call orders. Underneath the arena lobby in our video production room, Director of Digital Media Michael Schwartz is ready to direct our "in-arena show." Michael is responsible for all content that appears on the video board and he directs the camera crew inside the arena.

By now, the teams have been through pregame warmups, returned to their locker rooms for final words from their coaches, and come back on to the floor at around 10:45. As I write this, I can't help but get excited about the energy that will be in the arena by 10:53 when both teams line up for the national anthem.

Once the anthem is performed, Zach Keller will be called upon to perform another vital function. Zach works alongside Adam McLeod as our Manager of Events of Operations and is responsible for bringing down the lights inside the arena at 10:57. Once the lights go down, Michael will press play from inside the production room to bring the intro video to life. As the intro video fades, a member of the marketing staff clicks a button and Wolfmother's "Joker and the Thief" blasts through the arena sound system while Chris belts out the starting lineup.



Once Jameel is announced as the final starter, the lights will come back on. It is now game time. The 10 starters take the floor, the officials assume their positions and the fun really begins.

As for me, I will be where I always am – standing in my usual corner at the end of our bench. Saturday will be an incredible showcase for Stony Brook University on a national stage. Coach Steve Pikiell, his staff and our players have had a magical season. So, whether you are cheering from inside the arena or watching on ESPN2, keep the positive energy flowing.

To quote the great Steve Perry and Journey, "Don't stop believin'… hold on to the feelin'."

Together We Transform!

Warm regards,

Shawn