Basketball fans can get a look at the future home of Spartan hoops on Thursday, Feb. 5, when UNCG faces Southern Conference foe Davidson College in the Greensboro Coliseum.

UNCG wants to pack the Coliseum on Blue & Gold Day in a show of school spirit that will help the Spartans to victory. Alumni and community members should join students, faculty and staff in wearing UNCG's school colors — navy blue, gold and white — all day and at the game.

The tip-off is at 7 p.m., but Feb. 5 promises to be more than a basketball game as UNCG holds its first SpartanFest for all to attend at 5 p.m. in the Coliseum Pavilion area. Activities include fun for kids, entertainment and a student tailgating competition in the parking lot.

Faculty, staff and students can catch the Spartan Spirit shuttle in front of Elliott University Center and ride to the Coliseum.

Parents can bring the kids and let them jump on inflatables, get their faces painted, or wear foam Spartan helmets. A DJ will be on hand, along with the UNCG cheerleaders and the dance team. So bring your Spartan spirit and make some noise for your home team in the Coliseum.

Tickets are available and a crowd is expected. Ticket information:

• Students — Athletics Ticket Office, 336-334-3250, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, Room 329 Health & Human Performance Building on campus.
• General Public — Perhaps the best deal is the “4 for $44” special — 4 tickets, 4 hotdogs and 4 drinks for $44 — which is available at the Greensboro Coliseum Box Office, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; or Ticketmaster online or by calling 336-852-1100.

Chancellor Linda P. Brady announced on Dec. 5 that the Spartan men's basketball team will play opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference and other power conferences in 2009-10 in the Greensboro Coliseum, the municipal facility that has been synonymous with college basketball since it opened almost 50 years ago.

The chancellor and Coliseum officials announced an ambitious plan that includes a home court setting in the arena and a locker room — decked out in UNCG school colors and athletics logos. The benefits are obvious, she said, with enhanced visibility of Spartan Athletics making a direct contribution to the student experience at UNCG and for the community.

The timing could not be better for UNCG to schedule ACC opponents, who will play the ACC men's basketball tournament in the Greensboro Coliseum in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Next season, its home schedule includes non-conference games in the Coliseum with Princeton, N.C. State and East Carolina.

In 30 years, UNCG men's basketball has played 39 games in the Greensboro Coliseum, including three against ACC opponents. The Duke game, on Dec. 31, 2005, drew over 21,000 spectators — the largest crowd ever to see a UNCG men's basketball game.

By Steve Gilliam, University Relations

Photography by Chris English, University Relations