WEST HAVEN, Conn. – With a standing room only crowd at Charger Gymnasium, the University of New Haven tipped off the 2019-20 men's and women's basketball season with the annual Midnight Madness showcase on Thursday night.

Festivities at Charger Gymnasium included the introduction of both Charger basketball teams as well as an intra-squad scrimmage by the men's team and a three point shooting contest by the women's team. The first 200 students in attendance received Midnight Madness t-shirts while one lucky student won an Apple TV.

Midnight Madness was co-hosted by the Department of Athletics, Center for Student Engagement, Leadership and Orientation (CSELO), the Undergraduate Student Government Association and ChargerREC. In addition to meeting the men's and women's basketball teams, several campus groups also performed, including the New Haven Cheerleaders, Dance Team, Pep Band, Elite Step Team, Monsoon, the 5678 Dance Team, Incendio Dance and the newly debuted Miss Majorette's.

The preseason favorite to win the NE10 Southwest Division, the men's basketball team will open up a 26-game 2019-20 campaign on Monday, November 18 when they take on Concordia before jumping right into conference play five days later hosting Le Moyne on Saturday, November 23. Also highlighting the Chargers schedule is a trip to Florida over Thanksgiving weekend for a pair of games against perennial Sunshine State Conference power Florida Southern, and Saint Leo.

The women's basketball team opens its 26-game schedule with four-straight game on its home court, beginning with a visit from the College of Staten Island on Saturday, November 9. Overall, the Chargers 26 game schedule is split evenly with 13 games at Charger Gym and 13 on the road.