Last year, the Big Ten led all conferences in average attendance for men's basketball.
But you wouldn't have been able to tell from watching a Penn State game at the Bryce Jordan Center.
While the Big Ten as a whole averaged 12,760 spectators per game, Penn State only averaged 7,989.
Those statistics have prompted a concerted effort from the Penn State administration to arouse interest in the struggling program.
One of the products of that effort will be the first ever "Dinner and Dunks" event, an open practice to be held tonight at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Doors will open at 5, while the event will begin at 6.
In addition to free dinner for the fans, the schedule will feature both a 3-point contest and a dunk competition.
Although the 3-point contest promises a good matchup between Danny Morrissey, who was third in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage last year, Mike Walker, Schyler King and Nikola Obradovic, the dunk contest should be the highlight of the evening.
The dunk contest, which will feature Geary Claxton, Andrew Jones, Jeff Brooks, David Jackson, Stanley Pringle and Talor Battle will be a chance for newcomers to showcase their skills.
Claxton will be the only player in the contest that has seen significant game action.
The goal in holding the event is to try and generate student interest by allowing the students to see the players in a more laid-back environment.
"We've got to really establish a bond between the students and the team," said Loren Crispell, the director of marketing for basketball. "You're going to see our guys not taking themselves too seriously. Not being afraid to have a little fun with themselves; have a little fun with the students."
The team has attempted to hold events like this in the past, including a "basketball eve" two years ago that was not successful.
Guard Danny Morrissey said the atmosphere at that event was not very intimate.
Walker hopes that tonight will allow the fans to get more personal with the team.
"That's gonna be exciting to get the fans involved and hopefully have a little fun," Walker said. "Hopefully we can show them a little bit of our personality."
While the team has a small but loyal following, Crispell faces the challenge of bringing in students that haven't been interested in Penn State basketball in the past.
