Indiana University Athletics
ESPN's Sage Steele to Emcee Hoosier Hysteria
10/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bloomington, Indiana - Sage Steele, a 1995 graduate of Indiana University and one of ESPN's most versatile on-air personalities, will serve as emcee for Hoosier Hysteria which will be held Saturday, October 25, in Assembly Hall. Steele, who currently serves as the host of the Friday and Sunday editions of NBA Countdown - ABC's and ESPN's NBA pre-game show, is proud of her Hoosier roots and returns for the second time (2012) to help the IU men's and women's basketball teams tip-off the 2014-15 season.
Doors open at 5 p.m. with the program scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
"It's just really humbling to come back every time," Steele said prior to hosting the event in 2012. "This place (IU) is the only reason I made it. When I come back every time, it's so emotional for me."
Steele, who joined ESPN in 2007, has served as a co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter, the network's flagship news and information program and continues to contribute to the show while hosting NBA Countdown.
Steele graduated from IU (Bloomington) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communications. In her spare time, Steele volunteers for the Alzheimer's Association events, enjoys horseback riding, exercising, and spending time with her husband (a 1993 IU Bloomington graduate) and their three children.
Details for next week's event include:
• The women's team takes the floor for a workout from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Introductions and team activities will begin for them at 6 p.m. The men's team will follow and are expected to have a three-point and dunk contest and a brief scrimmage.
• Parking is free in and around Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium and fans are encouraged to come early and tailgate.
• The Student Athletic Board will be sponsoring a 64-team 3v3 basketball tournament on the day of Hoosier Hysteria, October 25th. The tournament will be played in the parking lot just South of Assembly Hall on official portable basketball courts. The tournament will begin at approximately 8:30am and last until roughly 3:30pm. The championship game will be played at 5:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall.
• Admission is free but fans are encouraged to bring a canned food item and donate it to Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Generally, the event brings in 10-12,000 pounds of food.
• Beginning at 10 a.m., there will be a DJ near the 3 v 3 tournament. An outside edition of the Varsity Shop will be open around 1 p.m.
• The men's team will sign autographs for an hour after the event on the Assembly Hall concourse. Fans may purchase the traditional IU men's basketball calendars from the Varsity Shop or a free autograph card will be provided. Players will sign just one item per person.
