Kristian Ferrell
In high school basketball, a blackout event is a themed night where students and fans are encouraged to wear black to games. The purpose of this is to create an intimidating atmosphere, build camaraderie, and look good for television viewers. This trend of having a unified color scheme for a game has been popular for a while, with white and other team colors being common choices. However, in recent years, blackouts have gained popularity, with schools like Colorado, Vanderbilt, and Purdue promoting them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To create an intimidating atmosphere, build camaraderie and look good for television viewers |
| Clothing | All black |
| Ticket sales | $15 ticket-and-black-shirt combinations sold by Middle Tennessee State |
| Teams that have done it | Vanderbilt, Colorado, Purdue, Middle Tennessee State |
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What You'll Learn
High school basketball blackout events are a recent trend
While the tradition of wearing specific colors to show support for a team is not new, the blackout event takes it to the next level by urging fans to dress entirely in black, even if it is not one of the official team colors. For example, Middle Tennessee State, whose colors are royal blue and white, promoted a blackout event and sold ticket-and-black-shirt combinations to fans.
Blackout events are intended to foster a sense of camaraderie among fans and create a visually striking spectacle for television viewers. They are often organized by students themselves, who want to make their senior year as enjoyable and memorable as possible. For instance, students at Trinity Christian Academy and the University School of Jackson have chosen to have themed nights like Hawaiian luaus or toga parties for basketball games.
These events are not limited to just the fans in the stands but can also involve the players and cheerleaders. For instance, West Carroll senior basketball player Morgan Lawrence worked with a faculty sponsor to develop a schedule of theme nights, including a neon night with the slogan "Jesus Lights Up Our World." Similarly, Bolivar senior cheerleader Lisa Russell described how their theme nights evolved from spirit night and beach night to a SportsCenter night, where students dressed up like the news show on ESPN.
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High schools get creative with themes for basketball games
High schools across the United States are getting creative with themes for basketball games to increase school spirit and fan participation. From colour-coordinated outfits to themed nights, students are finding new ways to show their support for their teams and make lasting memories.
One popular theme is the colour-out, where students wear a specific colour to show their unity and support for their school or team. This can be a simple white-out or blackout, or any other colour associated with the school. For example, students at Middle Tennessee State promoted a blackout by selling $15 ticket-and-black-shirt combinations for a game. Blackouts are particularly effective at creating an intimidating atmosphere and building camaraderie among fans.
Other colour-themed nights include Neon Night, where students wear neon colours and accessories to illuminate the arena, and American Night, where students wear red, white, and blue to show their patriotism and school spirit.
Beyond colour-themed nights, high schools are also organising creative themed nights such as Beach Night, where students wear Hawaiian shirts and beach accessories, and 80s Night, where students dress up in retro fashion and dance to classic 80s tunes. Some schools take it a step further with a toga party or a prison-themed night.
Themed nights are not just limited to the students. At a recent basketball game, the senior cheerleaders at Bolivar set up a SportsCenter night based on the ESPN news show. They created a set resembling the show's College Gameday and had students bring signs and react to the game like sports commentators.
By embracing these creative themes, high schools are fostering school spirit, encouraging fan participation, and making basketball games memorable and enjoyable experiences for their student communities.
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How blackouts create an intimidating atmosphere
In basketball, a blackout event is when teams promote and encourage their fans to wear black to a game to create an intimidating atmosphere, build camaraderie, and look cool for television viewers. The trend of having a game's audience unified in a single color is not new, but blackouts have taken this to the darkest side of the color wheel.
Blackouts create an intimidating atmosphere by fostering a sense of unity and passion among the fans, which is a key factor in determining the overall energy of the game. The visual impact of a sea of black in the stands can be quite striking and set the tone for a fierce and intense competition. The Los Angeles Kings of the N.H.L. attempted a blackout in the playoffs in 1998 and 2000, although the seats appeared empty on television screens.
Some teams have executed blackouts with finesse. Baseball's White Sox pulled off a blackout with black shirts reading "Sox Pride Blackout," which were given to news media outlets to promote a game. The team and fans of Middle Tennessee State also celebrated an appearance on ESPN2 with a blackout, selling $15 ticket-and-black-shirt combinations. The game was memorable, with Middle Tennessee State scoring a 32-yard touchdown pass as time expired, winning 14-13 before the third-largest crowd in the program's history.
Blackouts are a fun way to engage fans and create a unique and exciting atmosphere at basketball games. They can help build team spirit and energize the crowd, making the game more enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved.
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Blackouts are specific to your current location
In the context of high school basketball, a blackout event is when fans are urged to wear black to games to create an intimidating atmosphere, build camaraderie, and look good for television viewers. The tradition of wearing a specific colour to a game is not new, but the choice of black is a more recent development.
Blackout events are specific to your current location, and restrictions on live televised games will change depending on your location. Your location is determined by your IP address or location services, and within the US and Canada, a zip code is used to determine what teams are covered by your local broadcaster. For example, Colorado, Vanderbilt, and Purdue are among the high-profile programs that have promoted blackouts, with Vanderbilt asking that even those watching from home participate in the blackout.
High school students in West Tennessee have also been creative in their attire choices for basketball games, with students from Trinity Christian Academy and the University School of Jackson choosing to have Hawaiian luaus or family-friendly toga parties in one section of the gym. At Lexington, students decided on a white-out, black-out, and red-out for different games, as well as country themes and a toga party. Bolivar students had a SportsCenter night, with students dressing up like the cast of the news show on ESPN. The West Carroll basketball team celebrated a neon night with the theme "Jesus Lights Up Our World".
While the tradition of wearing specific colours to games is meant to create a sense of unity and camaraderie among fans, it is important to note that these events are specific to certain locations and are not universally applicable.
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Blackouts are also used in broadcasting
In the context of high school basketball, a blackout event is when fans are encouraged to wear black clothing to a game to create a unified and intimidating atmosphere and build camaraderie. The trend of having a game's audience dress in a single colour is not new, but the choice of black clothing is a more recent development.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) previously had a policy that forbade multichannel television providers from distributing telecasts of sporting events that had been blacked out by local broadcasters. This policy was ended in 2015, and the suspension of blackout rules continued into the 2016 and 2017 NFL seasons.
In India, the Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that pay television services must black out the state broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) during sporting events of "national importance" to protect the exclusive broadcast rights of pay TV broadcasters. UEFA Article 48.2 and the major association football leagues of the United Kingdom also enforce a blackout on all television broadcasts of football between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
In Canada, the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that Section 329 of the Canada Elections Act is constitutional, allowing for the blackout of election coverage to prevent the influence of unauthorized knowledge of election results in Western ridings.
Additionally, blackout restrictions exist for certain live sports events, such as NBA games in the US and Canada, due to exclusive broadcasting rights held by local and national content providers. Fans in these countries cannot access certain games, events, or broadcasts through the NBA League Pass and must watch them on local or national TV networks instead.
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Frequently asked questions
A blackout event is when students and fans attending a basketball game are encouraged to dress in black to create a unified and intimidating atmosphere, build camaraderie, and look cool for television viewers.
The trend of having a unified color theme for a game's audience started with white or one of the team's dominant colors. A blackout is a counterpoint to the "Sea of Red" by the Calgary Flames, which was countered by the Winnipeg Jets with a whiteout in the mid-1980s.
Some schools that have promoted blackout events include Colorado, Vanderbilt, and Purdue. Middle Tennessee State also had a blackout event, despite their school colors being royal blue and white.
