Maize Rage

Michigan playing Oakland University in basketball with the Maize Rage on the left

The Maize Rage is the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball student section. The section consists of over 2,600 students and provides the Crisler Center with a distinct home-court advantage. The section is located in the lower bowl of the arena, behind the press row, with overflow seating located in the upper deck. It is registered as an official student group with the University of Michigan.

History

The Maize Rage was officially founded during the 2000–01 season. It is known for reaching out to high school students, teaching them how to succeed in school and being good sports during games.[1] Over time, the Maize Rage has grown from 1,600 members in 2005 to over 2,600 members in 2012. The section was nominated for the inaugural Naismith Student Section of the Year in 2012.[2]

Procedure

The section consists of general admission for most games. During marquee match-ups, the section adopts a priority system based on how many games a student has attended that season, with students who have attended more games receiving preference for the bleachers located next to the court.[3]

Students with a ticket in the bleachers of Crisler Center are required to wear a maize University of Michigan shirt (preferably basketball related), a Michigan basketball jersey, or a costume. Students who do not comply with this requirement may be moved from the bleacher section.[4]

Traditions

The section contains various chants that have been developed over the section's history. The chants are often spread through social media in order for members to learn them prior to games.[5] Depending on the game, the section may conduct theme nights to coincide with the team that Michigan is playing. The section will often dance to The Blues Brothers' form of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" during TV timeouts.

Core

All students from the University of Michigan with season tickets are automatically official members of the Maize Rage. Any member wishing to be actively involved may voluntarily join the core, a smaller group of students who meet weekly to plan and implement operations of the organization.[6] The core grew significantly over history, starting with only a few members in 2001 to a steady 90 in 2014.

The core is a registered student organization at the University of Michigan. The core openly admits students to its membership and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status.[6]

The core is led by seven officers including: Superfan, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Webmaster, and Social Chair. Officers are elected every year after the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game. As of 2014, the board chairs are the leaders of standing committees to assist in fulfilling constitutional duties.[6]

Rage Page

The Rage Page is a scouting report that is written for each home game. Members of the core are chosen to research the opposing team and write the page. The Rage Page is funded by the Michigan Student Assembly. It does not reflect the views of the Michigan Athletic Department or the University of Michigan.[7]

The Rage Pages are distributed throughout the Maize Rage for information on both the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team and the opposing team. The Rage Page includes commonly used cheers by the student section. It also includes the Bacari Corner for assistant coach Bacari Alexander. The "Bacari Corner" features motivational tweets from his Twitter account.

References

  1. "For Maize Rage, it's more than a game". The Michigan Daily. March 31, 2005. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  2. "Maize Rage Vying for Naismith Student Section of the Year". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. January 12, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  3. "Tickets". The University of Michigan. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  4. "Maize Rage Website". Maize Rage. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  5. "Maize Rage takes charge at Crisler Center". The Detroit News. February 17, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Maize Rage Constitution" (PDF). Maize Rage. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  7. "The Rage Page" (PDF). Maize Rage. Retrieved April 1, 2014.

External links

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