A raging crowd of spectators, acrobatic cheerleaders and a team of university students sinking one ball after the other into the basket: These scenes could become reality in Linz as early as autumn.
Because at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU), the “Austrian College Sports League” (ACSL) is currently founding its own basketball team. Only students from the University of Linz are allowed to play there. “And it would also be nice if the trainers had some connection to the JKU,” says Martin Weiß.
The head of the University Sports Institute (USI) is responsible for coordination with the ACSL. Five Viennese universities are currently taking part in this, with the JKU being the first outside the federal capital. As a result, other universities throughout Upper Austria will also join. “Of course we are very pleased that we were selected for this pilot project. It will be great for the students – both for the team members and for the fans,” says Weiß.
Looking for a mascot
The “tryouts”, i.e. auditions where students can show their talent, took place at the end of June. At the beginning of next week, those who have excelled in their performance will be notified by email. The first games should then already be available in the winter semester. A cheer dancing team is also to be formed in the fall to cheer on the teams. Because more detailed preparations are necessary for this, the planned American football team will not be ready for action until autumn 2023.
An ACSL employee will be based directly in Linz for the organization. “He then takes care of finding coaches, arranging games and the many other details,” explains USI boss Weiß. The team name, jersey colors and mascot will then be decided in the coming weeks.
But of course there is more to a college league based on the American model than just the sport itself: “We simply want to offer fun university experiences and ensure that the students identify with their university,” says Lawrence Gimeno, co-founder of the ACSL.
There will also be “community challenges” in which fans of the different teams compete with each other on small tasks. The concept is already very popular in Vienna: around 5,000 spectators are sitting in the stadium for the big league final on Saturday, and the game is broadcast live on ORF Sport Plus.
The project in Linz is also new territory for the ASCL. “In Vienna we act more as intermediaries. For the JKU we have worked out such a comprehensive concept for the first time. But the university has a great campus and is open to new things, that is good conditions,” says Gimeno. (vaba)
Source: Nachrichten
