Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The UNCW Seahawks may be playing nearly 600 miles away on Thursday, but Seahawk fans can catch all the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament action at Trask Coliseum.

UNCW is hosting a viewing party for the community to cheer on the 12^th-seed Seahawks as they face the 5^th-seed University of Virginia Cavaliers in Orlando, Fla. Tip-off is at 12:40 p.m. The doors at Trask Coliseum will open at 11:40 a.m.

“Coach Keatts and the players have worked so hard all season,” said UNCW Athletic Director Jimmy Bass. “Their goal is to not just make it to the big dance, but to win. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our Seahawk fans.”

Thursday’s game is the second straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Seahawks. UNCW will be the No. 12 seed for the first time in six NCAA Tournament appearances after battling Duke in last year's tournament as a No. 13 seed.

“The support this community has shown our Seahawks has been truly inspiring,” said Chancellor Jose V. Sartarelli. “We think of this campus as the community’s campus, too, so it is only natural for us to invite everyone to watch the game with our students and employees on Thursday!”

For the third year, UNCW Men’s Basketball led the Colonial Athletic Association in attendance. During the 2016 calendar year, the Seahawk Club eclipsed 2,000 members, resulting in record contributions for student-athlete scholarships. (The club is the athletics fundraising organization for UNCW.) Strengthening and supporting intercollegiate programs by raising funds to support athletic scholarships is one of the goals of the university’s Strategic Plan.

At Thursday’s event, UNCW faculty, students and staff may enjoy complimentary pizza and water in the Golden Hawk Room with a valid UNCW ID. Concessions will also be available for purchase.