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Fueled by a new men鈥檚 basketball coach, standout recruits, new concessions, an expanded pep band and dance team and other additions, 老司机福利网 is entering a new era of athletics at the Alex G. Spanos Center, the university鈥檚 flagship sports venue.

The new vision for the university鈥檚 athletics programs is coming together under the leadership of Director of Athletics Adam Tschuor, now in his second year at Pacific.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really looking forward to our basketball seasons getting underway with a new and improved game day experience,鈥� Tschuor said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to be excited for with our women returning three 1,000-point scorers and our men bringing in a new coaching staff and 14 newcomers.

鈥淥n top of that, we greatly increased the sizes of our band and Tiger Dance squad, revamped our concessions with a new and larger menu, and have more Student Life initiatives to bring more students to the games. We can鈥檛 wait for an exciting year in the Spanos Center.鈥�

Dave Smart makes his coaching debut at Pacific Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. when the men鈥檚 basketball team hosts its season opener. Smart, widely regarded as one of the most successful Canadian college basketball coaches of all time, has recruited 14 new players. Eight are international recruits with four coming from Canada. WCC Commissioner Stu Jackson will join President Christopher Callahan courtside for the season opener.

The women鈥檚 basketball team, led by veteran coach Bradley Davis, returns three 1,000-point career scorers: graduate student Liz Smith 鈥�24 and seniors Elizabeth Elliott 鈥�25 and Anaya James 鈥�25. The trio earned all-Conference accolades last season and have a combined 3,143 points at Pacific. No other team in the conference has three 1,000-point scorers.

The team hosts its season opener Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. against Stanislaus State. Hundreds of elementary and middle school students are expected to attend as part of Pacific鈥檚 annual Education Day for schools from San Joaquin County.

The atmosphere in the arena will be amplified with an expanded Pep Band. The Pep Band averaged eight to 10 students per game last year; this year there are more than 40 students on the roster to fill 30 seats per game.

The band traditionally plays for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball and volleyball games. This year they will add water polo and select soccer games.

鈥淣othing substitutes live music,鈥� said Associate Professor Jonathan Latta, who directs the band along with two student directors. 鈥淭he uniforms are also updated, and the tunes are more contemporary. We have more than 50 tunes the band can play.鈥�

The Tiger Dancers have grown to 12 dancers on the team, up from eight last year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting,鈥� said coach Neriah Howard. 鈥淗aving a bigger team shows how committed athletics is to supporting the Tiger Dancers,鈥� she said, adding that the team brings energy not only to the fans but the coaches and teams.

The Tiger Dancers will host a clinic for high schoolers Dec. 7 with attendees getting to perform with the team at halftime and plan to resume dance competitions this year.

Student Life is working closely with athletics to increase attendance by launching new promotions and activities for students, faculty and staff. When the men鈥檚 basketball team has its season opener Nov. 4, students can use their meal plans at the Spanos Center to support the team, where there will be new food options in concessions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a whole new experience for fans,鈥� said President Callahan, who regularly attends Pacific Athletics events. 鈥淭here is a new energy and vibrancy surrounding our athletic teams with our new coaching staff and players, and the Pep Band and Tiger Dancers create a dynamic atmosphere at the games. We can鈥檛 wait for everyone to come together to cheer on the Tigers.鈥� 

The university鈥檚 top leaders are also rallying around all 17 of the university鈥檚 Division-I athletics programs in new ways this year. Members of the university鈥檚 Cabinet have adopted teams to support throughout their seasons, inspired by First Lady Jean Callahan鈥檚 #WomenSupportingWomen initiative. The idea came about in 2023 to get more community support for the women鈥檚 basketball program.

for Pacific Athletics events are available online.