Crazies bring excitement and energy to CBU basketball games

Riverside, Calif. (March 12, 2018) – As the California Baptist University men’s basketball team try to punch their first ticket to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, there will be a special group of “Crazies” back home in the CBU Events Center trying to will their team to victory. 

Tonight’s Sweet 16 playoff match-up in Monmouth, Oregon will be a road game for the Lancers, which will be streamed live in the Events Center. While the team will be hundreds of miles away, this will not stop head Crazy Stephen Bossert and his squad of Crazies from treating this special evening like any home game.

“Being a Crazie comes with responsibility,” Bossert said.  

Throughout the basketball season, the group recruits the university’s community to attend and support the Lancers by walking throughout campus, handing out flyers and inviting people to the games. Additionally, Crazies commit to prepping hours before games—from coordinating face paint to wearing similar CBU gear. While the game is underway, they help with tasks such as selecting individuals to participate in the halftime mini-games and throwing CBU shirts to the crowds.

The Crazies also have the responsibility of keeping CBU Athletic traditions alive. There is the inspirational “I believe we will win” chant and the high energy “CBU What?” cry that gets the crowd to vigorously yell out CBU multiple times. The Crazies also have introduced the crowd to the university’s new fight song, “Lance Up, CBU!”

CBU Crazies, by their own accounts, are some of the most dedicated fans in NCAA sports. Many Crazies, attend the school’s basketball games with the goal of pumping enthusiasm into the Events Center from tip-off to finish.

“We hype the team up, let them know that we are there to support them, and we believe that does a lot for the players,” Bossert said. “We like to think we bring the energy when the team might be running out.”

Their enthusiasm seems to be rubbing off. This past 2017-18 inaugural season in the Events Center, CBU surpassed the 50,000 combined attendance mark for both men’s and women’s basketball. The number represents the second highest attendance in all of D-II.

Bossert never had any intention of becoming head Crazie, a part-time position within the Athletics department. However, Bossert said he decided to apply for the position the more he envisioned pumping up the CBU crowds and helping the Events Center audiences cheer on their teams to success.

“This year we started a new tradition, which is my favorite, and it is the pre-game Lancer Jam,” said Bossert, of the pre-game party that features a festival-like atmosphere. “It’s a fun way to help get the crowd excited for the game. It’s just a huge party.”

Tonight’s game will also be streamed live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/wou/.