Something strange happens on this campus every year late in November that coincides with the football team's last home game. The fans that whole-heartedly supported the football team hang up their blue and white pom-pom and settle in for the winter, dreaming of a national championship next fall.

Wouldn't it be great if all that excitement just change locations to across the street at The Bryce Jordan Center? It should. College basketball is easily one of the most exciting sports around and just as popular as college football nationally. Many students won't go to a single class during March Madness action, and spend more time filling out their brackets then doing their physics. So why can't we fill up the Center?

People say, "This is a football school, that's just the way it is." Why does it have to be like that? Just because we are labeled as a football school, that is no excuse for us not to go out in numbers to support our other teams. Why can't we be a football school in the fall and a basketball school in the spring?

Then there are those who complain about our team not being good. It's true that we are not considered a national powerhouse, or have yet to make a name for ourselves in the Big Ten, but our players still go out there and give it their all. They lose a lot of games by just a few points, which can be frustrating, but that is why they need more of our support. They probably would be the first to tell you that there is virtually no home-court advantage here at Penn State.

My friends and I often joke about transferring to Duke for spring semesters just so we could be a part of the excitement that college ball produces. Students actually camp out down there just to have a chance of getting season tickets. If you've ever seen a Blue Devil's game on TV, you'll notice the "Cameron-Crazies" jumping in the background. Why? 'Cause they'll do anything to create a home-court advantage.

Compare that with the often half-filled, whisper-quiet environment of the center.

I'll admit that there is a group of hard-core basketball fans here who attend all the games and make themselves heard. But when you have a facility the size of the center, you should have an environment that no team wants to come in to. Opposing coaches should have to worry about their players overcoming the deafening noise, and remaining focused.

We might not have the best team in the Big Ten, but we could at least have the best place to play. Can you imagine a packed house with everyone screaming, and jumping in their seats, and waving pom-poms and growl towels. It would be great.

Penn State could become known for it's sixth man, much like Duke and other basketball hotbeds are. Most teams have already lost before the first whistle is even blown in Cameron Indoor.

Results of this excitement could stretch even further than on the courts. It would make Penn State more attractive when we recruit big-time players. If they come to a game, and feel all that enthusiasm a ruckus crowd brings, they might be more likely to play here. Basketball is special in that a program can be turned around with the signing of one blue chip prospect. Unlike sports like football, where players do not play entire games, a stud basketball player can completely dominate a game on both ends of the court.

If we as fans can help persuade one big-time player to come here, who knows what that would trigger. Maybe we would start winning more consistently, and in turn attract more and more players to want to come to Happy Valley.

Now, everyone get out your pens and pencils. Circle this on your calendar. My goal for everyone out there is to go to the game versus Northwestern on Jan. 13. We'll all be back from winter break, and the Big Ten season will just be under way. A sell-out would be absolutely amazing. It'll be the best $5 you've ever spent if everyone comes with the right attitude.

Don't be afraid to cheer loud when someone hits a big three, or to boo, yes boo, when a referee makes a bad call. I know I will. Take a white T-shirt to twirl around or paint your face. Scream when the other team has the ball; scream louder when their shot clock runs low. Remember that this is college, and we're still kids. We can help the team. Let's make The Bryce Jordan Center a house of horrors for all who dare to venture in it.