The Maravich Maniacs’ offseason has ended.
A rambunctious group of about 40 LSU basketball fans met Tuesday night to discuss ideas for the upcoming season’s student section.
“Tonight we’re going to start the ball rolling toward basketball season,” said junior Greg Renoud, president of the Maniacs. “We’re going to have a bunch of meetings like this throughout the basketball season about twice a month.”
The highlight of the meeting came when Andrew Rowdon, assistant director of marketing and promotions for LSU Athletics, announced the Tigers will play the Maravich Maniacs in a dodgeball game Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. in the new practice facility.
Rowdon said there will be 16 teams in the tournament with five Maniacs and one LSU basketball player on each team. The championship game will be the winner of the bracket against coach Trent Johnson and the assistant coaches.
Rowdon said it will take roughly an hour. Referees will be present, and cheerleaders and Tiger Girls may also make an appearance. Johnson will talk to the Maniacs in a reception area following the tournament.
Rowdon said Johnson wanted to do the tournament to reward the Maniacs for cheering every game during the Tigers’ 11-20 season last year.
“You guys are the ones who bring the atmosphere in the arena,” Rowdon said to the group Tuesday. “We can have 11,000 season ticket holders, and the 2,000 student seats are the ones where all the noise comes from.”
The rest of the discussion included everything from social media to whose faces should be on cardboard cutout pictures in the stands.
One idea suggested for a cutout picture was LSU junior cornerback Patrick Peterson doing the Heisman Trophy pose in Saturday’s game against West Virginia. Rowdon encouraged the Maniacs to discuss other ideas for cardboard cutouts on the social media sites.
Renoud said every meeting will have free pizza from Rotolo’s, which is sponsoring the Maniacs this season. Rotolo’s will offer away game watch parties with food and drink specials for the Maniacs when Southeastern Conference play begins, Renoud said.
He said the turnout was much bigger than any meeting last year and has him excited for the season.
“This is twice as big as any previous meeting,” Renoud said. “Usually the first meeting is the biggest and then less people show up, but it depends on how the team does.”
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Contact Rowan Kavner at [email protected]