By Jillian Johnson | Sports Editor
With 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter of California Baptist University’s men’s basketball game, the players glance up into the stands to see a small, scattered group of the student body not saying a word as the team is fighting for the game-winning shot.
This year marks the first year CBU will have the official title of being a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In making this major shift, CBU as a whole is looking to revamp its athletic program and create a greater desire within students to attend each and every home game.
Whether on the field, in the pool or on the court, most CBU student-athletes agree that school spirit and support greatly contribute to their teams’ successes.
The CBU Crazies is led by eight different students, and their job is to ensure that Lancer athletics receives the support it needs from fellow Lancers.
“(The Crazies) are working more extensively with the marketing team,” said Caleb Meyers, junior math and intercultural studies double major and veteran Crazy Eight. “We are not doing many things different (from last year); we are just making the games more known on campus.”
Increasing attendance at home games not only encourages the athletes to play harder, but it helps the CBU cheerleaders do their job in spurring crowd involement.
“An increase in attendance at games helps us as cheerleaders motivate the crowd and encourage our CBU athletes,” said Brynn Burciaga, sophomore pre-nursing major and cheerleader on CBU’s game squad. “The more spirit and excitement we can get out of our school, the better our teams perform.”
A higher level of attendance at the games will assist CBU athletic teams as they make steps toward becoming more of a threat to the opponent schools in the Pacific West Conference.
