Not your same old Musketeer Madness

As it does every year, the time for Musketeer Madness is approaching quickly for Xavier basketball fans, but this year, the Xavier Athletic Department has decided to heighten the madness.

Complete with 500 floor seats for Xavier students and a stage, this is far from your usual Musketeer Madness.

"We're going almost full circle. We're going back to the event being tailored mainly to students," Xavier Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing Brian Hicks said.

All 500 student tickets were distributed within 19 minutes.

Students who are seated on the floor will also receive an exclusive Nike Musketeer Madness t-shirt.

The student section is not limited to the floor seats, however, Musketeer Madness is a free event.

Students are also eligible to enter a raffle for a chance to win $10,000.

The student who wins the raffle will compete in a shooting contest in which the student will shoot a layup, free throw, three-pointer and half-court shot.

For the first time ever, Musketeer Madness will feature a stage where the athletes will be announced with the music of their choice.

Musketeer Madness will also feature a hot shot contest in which students will be paired with student athletes, in addition to the traditional slam dunk contest.

One of the five judges for the slam dunk contest will be a student selected by XU basketball alum Byron Larkin.

The men and women's basketball teams will then play their traditional scrimmages, two ten-minute sessions for the men, and one eight-minute session for the women.

As opposed to schools such as the University of Kentucky who opt to have its season kickoff event at midnight, Xavier chooses to host its on family weekend in the evening.

"We've really tried to cater towards a family audience. We want to engage our students as well to tip off the season," Hicks said.

Musketeer Madness will be held in Cintas Center on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.