March 17, 2010

FARMVILLE, Va. - Longwood University was one of 33 winners in the NCAA Division I “Pack the House” Challenge. Longwood won the Division I Independents challenge. “Pack the House” is national effort in which conferences and institutions compete to build attendance at women's basketball games. Despite 12 inches of snow the day before, the Lancers still welcomed 831 fans in Willett Hall for a game against the University of Maryland, surpassing the highest single-game attendance from 2008-09. The NCAA will donate $500 to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Longwood's name for winning the challenge.

“I am very proud of our marketing staff and our fans for helping to 'pack the house',” said Longwood Director of Athletics Troy Austin. “The Athletics marketing department, led by director of marketing and game operations Eric Stoller, designed and implemented a great promotion. Our fans, especially the Lancer Lunatics, braved a winter storm and showed up to support the Lancers en masse.”

This is the second time in three years Longwood has won the challenge, as the Lancers also claimed the title during the 2007-08 season when 817 fans came to Willett Hall to see Longwood take on Radford University.

NCAA Division I women's basketball marketing staffs selected a home game and designated that date as a “Pack the House” game with the goal of setting an attendance record. One winner from each of the 32 conferences and one from a group of independent institutions were named. Selections were based on marketing plan creativity and attendance criteria.