Booster offers $10,000 to break attendance record

Cayden Check / Thresher

By Diego Palos Rodriguez 11/19/24 11:11pm

On the second day of the 2025 spring semester, Jan. 14, Rice men’s basketball will play their first home game of the semester against the University of Texas at San Antonio. As with most athletics events, there will be prizes given out to entice student attendance, but this time around it is a little different.

Basketball booster and alum Randy Block ’94 has promised $10,000 to each college with a shooter who makes a blindfolded shot from the opposite free-throw line along with $500 to the college with the most students in attendance, the loudest college and each college shooter that makes a halfcourt shot.

Block is offering these prizes in an effort to break the student attendance record in Tudor Fieldhouse.

In an email to the Thresher, Block laid out exactly how this money will be distributed:

“$500 to the college with the most students in attendance!”

“$500 to the college that is the loudest and rowdiest!”

“$500 to each college whose Shooter makes a half-court shot!”

“$10,000 to each college whose Shooter makes a blindfolded shot from the opposite free throw line!”

Any of these prizes would give colleges the opportunity to invest in a number of resources and activities. According to Baker College President Lynn-Chi Nguyen, on top of funding new traditions for Bakerites, they would use this money to support future sports attendance.

“Since the fund is coming from an athletic event, I would encourage that a portion of the funds are used to support our student-athletes, such as finding ways to encourage Bakerites to attend more athletic events,” Nguyen said.

In preparation for the Jan. 14 game, colleges will choose a shooter for both the half-court shot and the blindfolded, 75-foot shot from the opposite free-throw line. At Will Rice College, the selection process will be just as competitive as the real competition.

“[We’d do a] battle royale,” Felipe Lerner, the Will Rice College president, said.

The 75-foot shot would be the seventh longest in NBA history.

While it may be very difficult, Block would have to pay out $116,500 if every college manages to make this shot along with the halfcourt shot, a number which Block explained he’d “absolutely” give up.

Regardless of the outcome, Block said that he hopes this challenge can pack Tudor Fieldhouse and encourage students to show out to the game as a united front, creating a special environment for the men’s basketball team.

“In Rice’s history, this type of big cash has never been offered for a college challenge at a sporting event,” Block said. “Let’s pack Tudor and see if a student can take $10,000 from me to support their college!”