Abilene Christian University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs will host the second annual Moody Madness, a pre-season basketball event fueled by DK Alon and featuring Steve Max, the Master of Simon Sez, at 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 24 at Moody Coliseum. The event is free and open to the public.

Prior to the event, a Big Country Pregame Party will take place in the mall area of campus, just outside the south entrance of Moody Coliseum, with free food, activities, giveaways and more. Free food is available as well as an opportunity to meet Willie the Wildcat. The pregame party begins at 6 p.m.

Doors open for Moody Madness at 7:15 p.m. and the celebration will include team introductions, spirit squad performances, free t-shirts and rally towels for students, raffles, giveaways and a student half-court shot for $10,000.

“The general goal is to introduce the men’s and women’s basketball teams to the student body and to anybody who wants to come to this event and see the team,” said Carrie Johnston (’23), media relations and broadcast coordinator. “We hope to get everybody excited and hyped up for the upcoming basketball season because ACU is a big basketball school.”

College basketball programs around the country have similar events to allow fans a chance to receive a first look at their basketball team ahead of the upcoming season. With the grand opening of Moody Coliseum last year, ACU decided to create a tip-off event specifically for the university. The ACU community gathered in the newly renovated coliseum to celebrate the upcoming year after multiple NCAA Tournament appearances from both the men’s and women’s basketball programs in recent years.

In the Western Athletic Conference pre-season coaches polls, the men’s program was slated to finish fifth out of 11 and the women’s program sixth out of 11. Both programs made it to the WAC Tournament last season in their second year in the conference.

“Our hope is to get an investment from the student body and fans from both the ACU community as well as the Abilene community,” Johnston said. “We want to be the Big Country’s program. Basketball season is coming, so let’s get excited about it, because it’s going to be a good year.”

Learn more about Moody Madness.

— Connor Mullins

Oct. 23, 2023