MSUM 'Noize Night' brings energy, pyrotechnics, and big crowds

The Dragons basketball teams saw a spike in attendance and fan engagement for the special promotion event.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 9:55pm

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Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) hosted a special 'Noize Night' promotion for its women's and men's basketball games against Minnesota State Mankato on Saturday. The event featured a lively atmosphere with lighting displays, a pep band, VIP areas, and even pyrotechnics during player introductions. While the teams didn't win their games, the promotion was a success in drawing large crowds - 1,542 fans for the women's game and 1,623 for the men's, nearly doubling their usual home attendance. MSUM plans to make this an annual event to energize the campus and community around Dragons athletics.

Why it matters

MSUM is looking to build excitement and engagement around its basketball programs, which have struggled with low attendance in recent years. 'Noize Night' represents an effort to provide a more elevated game-day experience for student-athletes and fans alike, tapping into the school's sports marketing capabilities to create a memorable atmosphere. The success of this promotion could lead to more such events in the future to boost school spirit and community involvement.

The details

The 'Noize Night' promotion included a variety of elements to amp up the in-game experience. Lighting trusses, dancing spotlights, and Dragons logos were projected around the court. A 26-member pep band provided upbeat music, while food, beverages, and giveaways were offered in VIP areas. Even the MSUM athletic director got involved, handing out lighted lanyards to fans. During player introductions, pyrotechnic flamethrowers added an extra element of showmanship.

  • The women's game drew 1,542 fans, nearly triple their usual home attendance of 558.
  • The men's game had an official attendance of 1,623, roughly double their home average of 800.

The players

Karla Nelson

The head coach of the MSUM women's basketball team, who has been with the program for 37 years.

Chad Markuson

The athletic director at MSUM, who was involved in the planning and execution of the 'Noize Night' promotion.

Jon Wepking

The associate athletic director for external relations at MSUM, who was the mastermind behind the 'Noize Night' promotion and had about 30 staffers working on various elements of the event.

Jason Kemp

The first-year head coach of the MSUM men's basketball team.

Emilee Thiesse

The head coach of the Minnesota State Mankato women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“The atmosphere was terrific. I've been here a long time, 37 years, and I've never seen the atmosphere quite like this. We just really appreciate the fans turning up.”

— Karla Nelson, Head Coach, MSUM Women's Basketball

“This is the atmosphere our student-athletes deserve. This is part of the fun of being able to provide that for them. I think we need to keep building on this and make our campus continue to grow and embrace coming over here and being a part of Dragon athletics.”

— Chad Markuson, Athletic Director, MSUM

“All the credit goes to our leadership and President (Tim) Downs and Chad and Jon Wepking, who did a lot of the grunt work to put together a great night. Little disappointed we couldn't give them a better effort, but the students and the fans were great tonight.”

— Jason Kemp, Head Coach, MSUM Men's Basketball

“We just talked about what a great environment that is and it prepares us for things that are just outside our control, like if you make it to the tournament. The NSIC tournament is a pretty special environment and they do a lot of fun stuff, like the pregame interviews and some of the light shows and stuff like that.”

— Emilee Thiesse, Head Coach, Minnesota State Mankato Women's Basketball

“This is exceptional. You're not going to see this every day. First of all, most D-II programs can't afford it unless it's a special occasion. When you go to other schools, they always have kind of a weekend where the atmosphere is pretty juiced up. So I've seen it, but here it was pretty special tonight. I mean, the crowd, if we gave them something to cheer for, it would have been pretty loud.”

— Karla Nelson, Head Coach, MSUM Women's Basketball

What’s next

MSUM plans to make the 'Noize Night' promotion an annual event to continue building excitement and engagement around its basketball programs.

The takeaway

MSUM's successful 'Noize Night' promotion demonstrates the power of sports marketing and fan engagement to create a memorable game-day experience. By investing in production value, giveaways, and other fan-focused elements, the university was able to nearly double its usual home attendance, showcasing the potential to grow its basketball fan base through innovative promotions.