Midnight Madness: A basketball season preview

BY ALEXIS GONZALEZ

Multimedia Journalist

On Monday, Oct. 13, the Tarleton State men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted Midnight Madness, an event introducing the new teams and energizing fans for the upcoming season.

This year, the event took place at the new EECU Center, giving students their first look at the $130 million facility.

Senior PANKUS Vice President Sophie Huh shared her thoughts on the new center.

“I love the new EECU Center. I feel like it shows off how big Tarleton has gotten and highlights the success of this amazing university,” Huh said.

Within the EECU Center at Midnight Madness, the Texan Stars and the Tarleton cheer team performed routines to showcase what fans can expect at halftime during the season.

The night also featured plenty of student involvement, from class tug-of-war battles to a relay where students raced to make a basket, grab a random costume piece and hurry back to dress a teammate before the crowd voted on the winning team.

At midnight, the men’s and women’s basketball teams revealed their 2025–26 rosters, giving fans a preview of their skills. Israel Laureles, a member of the Tarleton Plowboys, was among those excited by the reveal.

“[I am] excited for the new roster and trust that the teams are going to go far this season,” Laureles said. “Midnight Madness seemed to be a sneak peek to the season.”

The men’s and women’s teams also competed in a three-point contest, with Chris Mpaka and Alexis Rynders representing their respective teams. The women’s team came out on top.

The last fan engagement event was a free throw frenzy, featuring two teams each made up of a PANKUS member, a basketball player and a Plowboy, along with special guests President James Hurley and First Lady Kindall Hurley. Mrs. Hurley’s team won with two shots made.

The men’s team also played a purple vs. white scrimmage, with the white team narrowly winning 17-15. Without the pressure of an official game, fans got to see the players in a more relaxed setting, showing off their skills while having fun on the court. Cody Wayne Boone, a Tarleton student and Plowboys member, said it was his favorite part of the night.

“My favorite part was being able to see the teams fully relaxed and truly enjoying the game they are passionate about,” Boone said.

To close out Midnight Madness, hypnotist Chris Jones performed an act that included a few men’s and women’s basketball players and fans from the crowd. The hypnotist had the audience on their feet, with two fans falling asleep and then being playfully instructed to chase after the basketball teams.

Midnight Madness gave fans a glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming exhibition games and the season ahead, which is already underway, with the men’s team having hosted TCU on Oct. 19 and the women’s team hosting Kansas State on Oct. 27.