Basketball, Oakland Zoo help football recruiting

‘ ‘ ‘ Two years ago when LeSean McCoy was ready to commit to the Pitt football team, the first… ‘ ‘ ‘ Two years ago when LeSean McCoy was ready to commit to the Pitt football team, the first people to whom he publicly tipped his hand were members of The Oakland Zoo, Pitt basketball’s student cheering section. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ On Feb. 14, the Pitt football coaching staff hosted more than 100 football players who are in their junior year of high school. One of the central events of the day was the Pitt basketball game against Cincinnati. And while basketball and football are played on completely different surfaces, the basketball team, along with The Oakland Zoo, are stepping into big roles when it comes to courting perspective football stars. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Mike Antonoplos, Pitt’s assistant director of football operations, said in an interview last week that the coaching staff makes it a priority to coordinate recruiting events with basketball games. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Basketball, with how well it has done in that building and how well they’ve done overall, has been a major asset,’ said Antonoplos. ‘You’d be stupid to bring 125 kids in on a Saturday and not have a basketball game for them to go to.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One of the chief reasons Antonoplos and the coaching staff chauffeurs recruits to basketball games is to expose them to The Oakland Zoo. While the Zoo attempts to create a hostile environment for opposing teams, the football recruits sitting in attendance sometimes pick up on the energy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Kolby Gray, a quarterback from Houston, recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Panthers next season. Gray’s visit to Pittsburgh in January included a trip to see Pitt play St. John’s. He said it was the fans, not just the game, that got him thinking more about Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The fans were awesome,’ said Gray. ‘I [went] home and that’s all I talked about: ‘You should have seen these guys at the basketball game.” ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While Gray had given his commitment to the coaching staff earlier in his visit, he was put at ease by the reception players received from the student section. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The fans definitely played a big part,’ he said. ‘They made you feel at home. They made you feel comfortable.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Gray said that going to a basketball game gave him a positive impression of the Pitt fans he looks forward to seeing during the football season. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One of The Oakland Zoo’s best qualities is its passionate portrayal of the University’s fan base, said Antonoplos. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The overall enthusiasm of the students and the people at the basketball games can portray, in the minds of the football recruits, what they could see at Heinz Field, too,’ said Antonoplos. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Dave Jedlicka, the president of The Oakland Zoo, highlighted the importance of the Zoo in making an impression on recruits who are unfamiliar with Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Whether they’re from out of state or even out of town, [some players are] not exactly sure what to expect from the school,’ said Jedlicka. ‘When they come to the Petersen Events Center, they see 1,300 kids jumping up and down and screaming for two hours cheering on Pitt.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The fact that the Zoo is energized, even when watching Pitt play lower levels of competition, is important to Jedlicka. He believes that same atmosphere is achievable during the football season, as well. Antonoplos agrees with that sentiment and said that, by observing the environment at basketball games, recruits can become ‘enthusiastic for the direction both programs are going in.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite the growing interaction between football prospects and the Zoo, Jedlicka and Antonoplos both noted the importance of keeping recruitment within the guidelines outlined by the NCAA. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Obviously, [fans] are going to want to do what they can to get the best players possible,’ said Jedlicka. ‘Now, you need to be careful about going over the line.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Going over the line includes using recruits’ names on banners or presenting potential stars with Oakland Zoo T-shirts. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Ultimately, the Zoo’s chief role in recruiting will remain providing a positive image of Panther sports fans. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The people at the Pete project students’ excitement about Pitt’s sports programs, said Antonoplos. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Each season, another class of prospects shapes their decisions in part based on their experience at the Pete. Jedlicka said that basketball games ‘mdash; and the fanfare around them ‘mdash; present an attractive opportunity to football recruits. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I think it makes the athletes want to be a part of it,’ said Jedlicka. ‘They really see that the fans care for their team.’