Hoosier Hysteria adds live virtual reality streaming

Indiana announced this afternoon that Saturday night's Hoosier Hysteria at

Assembly Hall will be the first college sporting event ever streamed in Virtual

Reality.

Here is part of the official university press release:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.- IU Athletics announced today that this year's Hoosier

Hysteria event on Saturday, October 24th will be live streamed in virtual

reality. Streaming Hoosier Hysteria is part of an effort from the groundbreaking

Mark Cuban Center for Sports Media and Technology and represents the first known

collegiate sporting event to be live streamed in virtual reality.

Working with the Dallas based company BigLook360, fans will be able to

view all of the Hoosier Hysteria action as if they were standing on Branch

McCracken court. Five Samsung GearVR headsets will be set-up in the North lobby

of Assembly Hall beginning at 6pm. Fans attending Hoosier Hysteria are

encouraged to visit the display to experience Hoosier Hysteria like they never

have before.

"We have the best and most knowledgeable basketball fans in the country

and we are thrilled that we will be able to bring them the experience of one of

our signature events in virtual reality," said Associate Athletic Director

Jeremy Gray. "Fans will be able to experience what it is like to have Troy

Williams fly over you for a dunk, how quick Yogi Ferrell is off the dribble, and

what it is like to watch the action courtside. This is the future of fan

experience and recruiting and we are excited that the Mark Cuban Center for

Sports Media and Technology is at the vanguard of this technology."

IU Athletics is one of the first athletic departments in the country to

substantially utilize virtual reality. Unlike other athletic departments that

have also been early adopters of virtual reality technology, IU Athletics has

produced much of their own virtual reality content and video. In collaboration

with students and faculty on campus, IU Athletics has been independently

creating VR content for use in athlete instruction, in-venue fan experience, and

to interact with fans on the Internet and social media.

More on Saturday: 

Catt Sadler to host Hoosier Hysteria

E! News host Catt Sadler will serve as host this year for Hoosier Hysteria.

The Martinsville native is an IU grad and former Redstepper.

Event Details

Doors to Saturday's event will open at 5:00 p.m. ET with the program starting

at 6:30 p.m. Before things officially start the women's team will hold a

shootaround that kicks off around 5:10 p.m. After that there will be a

performance by the IU Cheerleaders and the second annual Hoosier Hysteria 3-on-3

Basketball Tournament will hold its championship game on the court.

The women's team will be introduced to begin things at 6:30 and will hold

skit and shooting contests. The men's team will follow with their own skit and

shooting contests and Hoosier coach Tom Crean will address the crowd. Later the

Hoosier team will hold a short team scrimmage, a long held tradition for the

first public practice.

Following the scrimmage, the men's team will sign autographs in the Assembly

Hall concourse for one hour. The Hoosiers will sign one item per person which

includes a basketball, or calendar poster from the IU Varsity shop. Otherwise a

card will be issued for the fan to obtain signatures. No outside products will

be signed. Posters are $4.98 for the 27 X 19 size and $2.98 for the 16 X 11 and

can be purchased online.

IU Athletics also advised fans attending Hoosier Hysteria on Saturday, October 24th to be aware that the south entrance to Assembly Hall is closed due to construction and that fans will have to enter in the north entrance, or through the previously closed stairwells on both the east and west side of Assembly Hall.

With the south entrance and south concourse closed, the north entrance could be congested and fans are encouraged to give themselves extra time to get to their seats or use the stairwells on the southeast and southwest sides of the building. For games this season, students will have a new entrance on the south side through Gladstein Fieldhouse, but will have to utilize the designated general public entrances for Hoosier Hysteria on Saturday.