The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
The football season is in full swing — and yet the basketball season is right around the corner.
For the College of San Mateo, and all the other California community colleges, the season is already here, with official practice beginning last Tuesday, Oct. 1.
For some of the big, four-year basketball programs, the start of the season is highlighted by a “midnight madness” event — a celebration of the sport of basketball, with midnight being the first time teams can begin practice.
CSM didn’t and won’t have a midnight madness event — but the Bulldogs’ teams are doing something to celebrate the start of the season, and they’re hoping to get the Peninsula community involved, as well.
CSM men’s basketball coach Mike Marcial, along with longtime CSM women’s coach Michelle Warner, are putting on what they’re calling “Bulldog Madness,” with a number of events being held to generate interest in the respective programs Oct. 12 at the CSM gym starting at noon and running to 4 p.m. Golden State Warriors “hype man” Franco Finn will serve as master of ceremonies.
Admission is free and refreshments are available, as well.
“We been working together on it for the last couple of months,” Marcial said. “We want to do everything we possibly can to continue to open the door to the community and bring alumni back to campus.”
Marcial said both the men’s and women’s teams will be playing alumni games, along with a faculty exhibition game. Other activities include a 3-point shooting contest and a dunk contest — which could feature athletes from other CSM athletic programs.
The women’s team shouldn’t have any problems fielding an alumni team. Warner has been the Bulldogs’ head coach for more than 20 years, so she has plenty of talent from which to pull.
Marcial and the men’s basketball team might have little more trouble getting enough former players. Marcial helped resurrect the men’s program five years ago after a 40-year hiatus. A number of Marcial’s former players are still wrapping up their college careers and are not eligible to play in an alumni game.
But that won’t stop CSM from celebrating its basketball programs and they want the surrounding community to be part of the action.
“We’re trying to involve, as much as we can, with our community,” Marcial said.
The CSM men tip off the regular season Nov. 1 with a game against Orange Coast at Ohlone College-Fremont. The CSM women has its first game Nov. 9 at Folsom Lake College against Butte.
