SCRANTON, Pa. — The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee or SAAC of the University of Scranton is bringing back its Royal Rage game series; this time with a more competitive twist. The main goal of these games is to boost student turnout by encouraging teams to attend each other’s biggest events. 

Teams participated in the campaign last season but wanted to expand it for upcoming seasons. At their latest meeting, SAAC members brainstormed how they could increase attendance at each team’s biggest game. The club came up with an incentive called the “Royal Rage Cup” — a challenge in which the winning team takes home an award at the Iggy’s athlete award show at the end of the year. The criteria: 50% of a team must attend a designated Royal Rage game, and they must post a picture at the game to their team’s Instagram story. The team that attends the most Royal Rage games wins an award at the Iggy’s. 

During the meeting, teams submitted their top three contests that they would want the stands packed for. The game choices ranged from senior nights to big rivalries to conference openers. SAAC leader and member of the women’s volleyball team Cammi Quirk explained the purpose of the Royal Rage game series. 

“We wanted to encourage student-athletes to support people outside of their own teams and create a stronger connection between all of our sports,” Quirk said. “The competition aspect was a great way to incentivize people to attend games and helped make our games feel more like campuswide events.”

Women’s soccer had the first Royal Rage game of the season Sept. 23 against its big rival, Misericordia. According to Scranton’s athletics website, overall attendance was higher at this game than any home game this season. The soccer team secured a 3-1 win over Misericordia. Many teams packed the stands for the matchup, including men’s lacrosse, women’s basketball and field hockey. Nicole Schulingkamp, member of the women’s soccer team and leader of the SAAC, explained what it meant to her to have these teams in attendance. 

“The energy at our Royal Rage game versus Misericordia was very strong,” Schulingkamp said. “I think it definitely contributed to our performance in the game. This was a really huge win for us against Misericordia, and the combination of our team's energy and the fans’ energy is something that really helped motivate and energize us on the field.”

While this is an initiative meant to get athletes to other games, the goal is to get attendance as high as possible. Below is a summary of the upcoming Royal Rage games for the fall and winter.

Fall Royal Rage Games 

Men’s soccer will host Juniata Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. on Weiss Field. Men’s soccer will be celebrating its senior day.

Field hockey will host Catholic Oct. 24 at noon on Weiss Field. Field hockey will also be celebrating its senior day. 

Men’s and women’s cross-country will compete Oct. 31 in the morning at Lock Haven. This Royal Rage meet is the Landmark Conference Championship.

Women’s volleyball will host William Paterson Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the John Long Center. This Royal Rage match celebrates the team’s mental health game. 

Winter Royal Rage Games 

Men’s and women’s swim and dive will host Wilkes Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. in the Byron Center. This Royal Rage meet is the teams’ last home meet.

Men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and wrestling are still to be determined. Check SAAC’s Instagram for updates.

For teams who do not have home venues, SAAC utilizes social media to spotlight their team and event.

“For track & field we had a student-athlete take over the SAAC Instagram on their Royal Rage meet which helped to spotlight their program on that day,” Colleen Pivirotto, faculty advisor of SAAC and women’s soccer coach, said. “We also asked teams to support each other on social media, decorate locker rooms, make goodie bags or find other creative ways to support one another.”

More information on athletic schedules can be found on the Scranton athletics website. 

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