PantherPalooza: For the Fans and the Teams

PLYMOUTH, N.H. – This Saturday, Plymouth State University will host a spring sports festival entitled “PantherPalooza,” which will feature six athletic games and seven fan competitions throughout the day and is planned and run entirely by students.The significance of the event is that all four of the school’s spring athletic teams are playing at their home field, on the same day and within a couple hours of one another, giving fans the opportunity to view various games simply by walking from field to field. Several activities and games are provided to ensure a fun atmosphere for all those in attendance.Professor Eileen Bennett and the students of her Sports Marketing course, an upper-level business class at the University comprised mostly of seniors, originally conceived the name and concept of “PantherPalooza.” While the sporting events of the day had been planned for some time, the class members took over all other facets of the event, from planning activities and designing t-shirts to general promotions. In addition to the athletic competitions, the event will feature several sports-oriented games the fans can participate in throughout the day, including: horseshoes, homerun derby, fast pitch (judged with a radar gun), field goal kick, basketball free throw competition, and frisbee and football accuracy throw competitions. Several prizes will be given away throughout the day, most of which were donated from local business owners. There will also be food, beverage and “PantherPalooza” t-shirts available for purchase. Games featured in the event include both Men and Women’s lacrosse teams in their final games, both facing UMass Dartmouth at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. respectively. Plymouth State’s baseball team will also be facing the University of Southern Maine in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m., while the softball team will be playing a doubleheader against UMass Boston beginning at 1 p.m.. The spectator events will be taking place throughout the day from 12:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., and a full list of event times and description will be available upon arrival.”PantherPalooza” is free of admission for students, faculty and visitors. It will be held at in the fields surrounding Plymouth State’s Physical Education Center in Holderness, NH. The PE Center is just across the bridge from the main campus, and facilities are visible from Interstate 93, just off the highway’s exit 25. There should be plenty of parking throughout lots on site and across the street. If you have any questions in regards to the event, don’t hesitate to contact the Plymouth State Athletic office at (603) 536-2750.