No question in my mind that Midnight Madness is a bit on the silly side. A contrived event to open the start of college basketball practices at the stroke of midnight on the first day. That’s the negative. On the positive, since it is at midnight it is almost all students — and therefore one of the few sports events at a university that is really for the students. Where they can have fun and the rich alum and boosters are not so obviously seen.

Seems like a great year for it at Pitt. The football team is down, way down. The basketball team is pre-season top 20 or so according to most people. Krauser is a pre-season Wooden award candidate. It’s Chevy Troutman’s senior year. Probably Chris Taft’s as well if he has the monster season everyone seems to expect. A strong incoming class. Lots of positive feeling about this team.

So, Pitt is not going to have a Midnight Madness. Instead it will have a “fan fest” on Saturday, October 30.

Basketball Fan Fest is designed to be a combination of PittsburghÂ’’s annual two preseason events: Midnight Madness and the Blue-Gold Scrimmage.

Great plan. Make it a family event. Take it out of the students interest as much as possible.

Who cares if the students on their own initiative created the “Oakland Zoo?” Who cares that the students who attend the b-ball games have done their damndest to make the Pete a great homecourt advantage for Pitt?

Pitt takes away Midnight Madness and the chance to make sure the students feel appreciated right away — and maybe give Pitt students something to feel good about before the BC football game that will be played about 12 hours after when Midnight Madness would happen.

I’m sure the students will be out in force. After all, who in college wouldn’t want to see “members of the women’Â’s basketball team will judge the Halloween costume contest for children age 12 or younger.”