Extra point: laser show to follow football

In an effort to attract more students and families to the first home football game this season, the Athletic Department has scheduled tomorrow's Penn-Colgate matchup for 6 p.m., followed by a drawing for a fall break trip and a full-blown laser light show. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said earlier this month he hopes the game's time and the additional promotions attached to the event will increase attendance. "[Students will] all be out of bed," Bilsky said. "I know that that's always been an issue of why more students don't come to football games." Bilsky added that families who live in the area, often busy with children's activities on weekends, may find the game's late start more convenient. "You can't put [families] in this situation where they've got to choose being at their son's soccer game or daughter's tennis match or being at a Penn football game," Bilsky said. A drawing for a free fall break trip will follow the game. But the highlight of the evening, according to administrators, is the laser light show. The show, sponsored by CoreStates, will include Penn-friendly themes like football and Princeton-bashing against a backdrop of popular music. "When the graphics and images are done correctly, it kind of packs a very emotional wallop," said Dan Held, marketing and sales manager for Image Engineering, which is in charge of the show. Penn football coach Al Bagnoli said last week that although he is no stranger to night games, since he coached several while at Union College, he was not sure about the changes' impact. "It will be interesting to see how it goes," Bagnoli said. "I like the initiative of the Athletic Department in terms of trying to do things that increase visibility." Bilsky said he is worried about declining Ivy League football attendance and is looking for ways to change the trend. Engineering senior Dina Lowe said most of her friends knew about the laser show and the game's time-- reasons why they will likely attend the game. But Wharton freshman Eugene Park said he did not know about the laser show and does not plan to go to the game.

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