Everyone loves Silent Night. Well, at least the way Taylor University does it.
The small Indiana college is garnering national attention thanks to its – there’s no other word for it – awesome college hoops cheer. Well, it’s not even a cheer.
It’s more like a fully integrated fan experience that completely destroys the opponent.
Here’s how it works: On the last day of fall semester, roughly 1,500 students fill Odle Arena clad in their pajamas and other costumes. The game starts, but nobody makes a sound until Taylor scores its 10th point of the game.
Then everyone loses their mind. Just watch.
“It’s become one of the premier events on our campus, probably the athletic department’s biggest event from an overall attendance standpoint and a student interest standpoint,” Taylor sports information director Eric Smith told The Dagger. “There are not many students that are left in the dorms that night. It’s become one of the things you can’t miss as a student.”
The school is reveling in the attention the cheer’s received during the last week, with stories on Yahoo!, ESPN and CNN. And rightfully so. Much like other fabulous cheers in various students sections, Silent Night’s something the students thought up, developed and everyone’s embraced.
Plus, it seems to help. Taylor beat Ohio State-Marion, 112-67, that night.
“Because of the uniqueness of no noise, there is a lot of pressure on our guys to get that 10th point,” Taylor coach Paul Patterson said in a statement. “And then it gets to be kind of a normal basketball game in a great environment.”
Your move, Cameron Crazies.
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