As students and fans file out after every Georgetown basketball game, the Pep Band plays the Georgetown “Alma Mater”—victory or not. Since we attend most home basketball games for both men’s and women’s teams, we notice the little things, from changes in team dynamics, to audience engagement, and even the overall ebb and flow of energy in the student section. As a constant observer, the Pep Band can provide a perspective on how the 2024-25 basketball season has kicked off, and where we hope it goes.
The women’s and men’s basketball teams
After the abysmal performance of last year’s men’s team, we entered this basketball season with a combination of great hope and cynicism. It’s our job to keep everyone hyped up, yet we also want to see our team do well too. Last year, it was disheartening to watch loss after loss and still have to play our music with enthusiasm. When games got tough and Georgetown trailed, you could see our players accept defeat. The Pep Band would try to restore their spirit with our cheering and music, but time and again we failed. By the end of the season we had accepted defeat as much as the players.
This year, however, team spirit has looked wildly different. In the Lehigh game, our team stood firm instead of collapsing in tough moments. We were there to hype up the crowd and help keep spirits up as we recovered and won. There’s no energy quite like the Pep Band performing our last songs after a hard-won victory, and it’s our great hope that this new spirit in our basketball players will allow us to keep playing our hearts out with the spirit of a winning team.
Last March, the Pep Band traveled with the women’s basketball team to the BIG EAST Tournament. During our week in Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino, the Pep Band’s enthusiasm for the team grew every additional day we spent there as we witnessed the Hoyas outperform predictions and win three consecutive games. Though our voices got hoarse from cheering and we got weak from the lack of sunlight and vegetables in the casino, we refused to waver in our support. Leaving Mohegan Sun after the conference championship loss to UConn, our support for the team only grew in anticipation for the future.
Our excitement was met with the 88-31 victory against UVA-Lynchburg. Being the first time back in McDonough Arena since March 2024, it felt like nothing had changed, except for the newly painted walls. We were located in the same bleachers of the Arena, the team brought on the energy, and we played our hit songs. With every 3-pointer, free throw, and foul committed by Lynchburg, the Pep Band followed with our signature cheers. The energy we poured into the game was more than anything we gave in McDonough Arena last season. We were prepared to give our everything, as we had in Mohegan Sun. Seeing the women’s team in a confident state of experimenting with new duos and trying new shots—such as junior guard Victoria Rivera’s layups—only made us more energetic. This year, we are excited to see how plays and team dynamics are developed in return for our undying support.
The student section
Turnout and energy at the men’s games have been similar to the beginning of last year, when spirits were high after Ed Cooley’s hiring. So far this season, the crowd at each game has been electric. Bigger and more enthusiastic crowds are always more fun to play for, as we love seeing people cheering and singing along. It makes us play louder and better, and heightens the experience. It does, however, remain to be seen whether the newfound energy on the court will prevent the annual drop-off in turnout by the beginning of BIG EAST play. As the chances of us winning any games diminish, we play to more and more empty stands, and the few students who do come see our team beaten up. We still play our songs, but nothing we can do will reinvigorate a disillusioned crowd, so we hope that this year’s initial crowds and energy will endure throughout the season. Especially considering the relative lack of non-student fans at Capital One games, the relationship between the student section, band, and cheer is even more important to give as much support as possible to the Hoyas. The student section’s engagement with cheer and band fluctuated in the first two games, but by Fairfield we seemed to have struck a good balance, building off of one another in our cheers and general enthusiasm for our team. We hope that enthusiasm continues as the season progresses.
Though the team buzzed with energy in McDonough during the women’s home opener, the crowd told a different story. Attendance was sparse, and among those who were present, many were distracted, with some even on their laptops throughout the game. Though our cheers carried across the gym, it was never quite enough to fill the space. Despite the tough crowd, we refused to back down and committed to supporting the Hoyas. After a strong BIG EAST and WBIT performance last season, the Hoyas were ranked highly in BIG EAST preseason rankings and made the “Next Four Out” in ESPN’s initial Women’s Bracketology. There is so much potential for the team, and this campus needs to make an active effort to support women’s basketball, with the Pep Band leading the charge. Rain or shine, you can expect to see us at any home game, ready to bring on the pep.
We are hoping for a season where we play the victory ending of the “Alma Mater” after every game, to the BIG EAST Championship and beyond. Until then, please follow the GU Pep Band on Instagram, and we hope to see you at a basketball game soon!
