Purple Reign increases school spirit at sporting events

By Ryan, April 11, 2016

By Makenna Rooker // Staff Writer

At High Point University, the athletic teams are very competitive within the NCAA Big South Conference. However, their success would not be possible without the endless support from the students and fans at HPU. HPU Purple Reign is a club for students that spreads athletic pride throughout campus, as well as maintains the student section at all home sporting events.
“Our primary goal is getting fans to the games,” said Dan Clark, HPU sports marketing assistant.
Previously, this club was called the Panther Den, but in 2014 the club was renamed Purple Reign. Since then, the club has gotten significantly larger and is continuously working to get more students out to the athletic events.
“This year we have really tried to key in on the students,” Clark said. “We are not asking every student to go to every game, but rather a few specific games per sport. At these events, we have done cookouts and promotional giveaways to get the students excited about coming.”
This has been a huge success, as the 2015-16 basketball season had more fan participation than ever before. In the past, the club has only held two or three “formal meetings” each year. Now, the club meets at Millis Athletic and Convocation Center one hour prior to the start of every home basketball game, allowing the students to get a good seat before regular admission. There is an initial fee of $20 to join this club, however, that covers a T-shirt as well as all promotional items that vary from game to game.
One of the most popular events that the Purple Reign organizes is the HPU Blackout. This is where all of the fans dress in all black at the basketball game against one of the university’s biggest rivals, Winthrop. Similar to this, the Purple Reign also organizes Stripe Outs, which is where each section of fans in the Millis Athletic Center are given either a purple or white T-shirt to wear. This creates a cool stripe effect throughout the gym.
This past winter, the HPU Purple Reign organized a Christmas themed game during the men’s basketball season. Students wore ugly Christmas sweaters to the game and were given a free High Point University ornament upon admission. Not only was this game a fun event for students, but the Men’s Basketball Team beat the University of Virginia-Wise by nearly 40 points.
Even if you are not an official member of the club, all students are encouraged to attend the games and sporting events.
The club currently has 315 registered students and is looking to create a board of directors in the fall of 2016. If you are interested in joining the HPU Purple Reign, information can be found at Campus Concierge or at any of the activities fairs throughout the year.