October 11, 2005
Texas A&M's men's and women's basketball teams will tip off the 2005-06 season by holding Maroon Madness at Kyle Field in conjunction with the school's traditional Midnight Yell Practice.
Attendance for the preseason outdoor practice sessions is expected to be the largest in the country.
A&M's women's team will precede Yell Practice as it will take to the court at approximately 11:25 p.m. The A&M men's team will follow Yell Practice at approximately 12:25 a.m. Yell Practice will start at its regular time.
A sports-court and basketball goals are being placed on the east sideline of Kyle Field.
"It should be a very unique experience, and it should be a lot of fun for everybody," A&M men's coach Billy Gillispie said. "We talked about doing it last year, but we didn't have a home football game to match it up with."
Gillispie led the A&M men to the postseason NIT quarterfinals with a 20-10 overall record and posted a 17-3 home court record.
Last year, the team's tipped off the season in a uniquely Aggie way by holding Maroon Madness outdoors in the parking lot of College Station's Northgate entertainment district.
"People are going to say, that's a great idea and others around the country might even try to replicate it," A&M women's coach Gary Blair said. "Yell Practice is unique. To add Maroon Madness, it's two great events coming together as one. Being out there in front of 25 to 30 thousand people will be a great experience for our kids. The benefits for our program will be great."
Last season, Blair led the women's team to the WNIT quarterfinals, it was the first postseason and first winning record since 1996. The A&M women return four starters among nine letterwinners.