Where were you on February 6, 2010, when Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and friends stunned No. 5 Michigan State in a Saturday night special in Champaign?
Chris Althoff doesn’t need a ticket stub to prove he was among the 16,000-plus who packed into the building formerly known as the Assembly Hall that night.
As a student manager from 2006-10 — the Bruce Weber years — he was assured one of the best seats in the house.
“If I had to chose just one memory, it would probably be when we hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for the game against Michigan State during my senior year,” says the Big Ten’s associate director of branding (BS ’10, marketing; MS ’13 sport management).
“My friend Adam was actually chosen for the halfcourt shot for $17,000 and just completely bricked it. It never had a chance, which we still give him grief for to this day.
“I remember being worried about the fan turnout because of the bad weather, but then walking in and seeing 6,000-plus people turn out for the morning show and the amazing atmosphere that carried over into the game that night. We ended up winning, 78-73, for one of the best all-around days I had on campus.”
Also high on Althoff’s list of favorite UI things: sports management classes taught by Mike Raycraft, “who made lectures fun and something I actually looked forward to attending and participating in.”
