Don’t feel as if watching games is the only thing that you can do here in Binghamton when it comes to sports. There is a large spectrum of options that you, the student, have at your fingertips.

If students want to get more deeply involved within the athletics department, they don’t need to look any further than their academics according to Dave Simek, Binghamton University’s associate director of athletics, promotion, advertising and external events.

“[There are] a lot of different ways [to be involved] aside from just being a good, true, bleed-green BU Zoo fan and coming to as many games as possible,” Simek says. “I think we have within athletics now developed internship programs that are very involved in terms of exposing students that are in the School of Management. [We have] various programs [for students] to get exposed to the behind-the-scenes aspect of athletics including promotions, game management, community service and outreach kinds of things. So there are a lot of ways we are trying to embrace the students.”

Students can also get internships working as student athletic trainers once they have taken specific courses in caring and preventing athletic injuries. They will be able to help condition and rehabilitate BU athletes before, during and after games. Job opportunities are also available to those students who are interested in managing the sports facilities and helping with games as well.

Simek also talks of the importance of students getting involved within athletics, not only as part of school spirit but to help be a part of the exciting future that lies ahead of it.

“The point is to reach out to the [students],” he says. “The school in general [is] very young in terms of being a Division I athletic competitive school. Still … we’ve made some tremendous progress I think in the last three, four years. The Events Center has been a great catalyst for us in terms in of making basketball a great venue. All these things have really helped us to move school spirit in the right direction. School spirit is absolutely essential in this school and I hope to see it grow even more this year.”

This year, events such as BU homecoming weekend, when alumni return in October, and Midnight Madness, which kicks off the basketball season, promise to be bigger and better than ever. Senior Associate Director of Athletics Jason Siegel has taken a large role in planning events and bringing great ideas Binghamton University sports.

“We are in the planning stages right now,” Siegel says. “There’s going to be a good list of things. We are looking at a number of different halftime shows. We’re looking at entertainment opportunities and great partnerships that we can put together … for all of our sports.”

Despite its vast achievements in the past seven years, Binghamton is fairly young for a Division I school. And although it has achieved many milestones, BU won’t settle for second best.

“I think our potential excites me in terms of where we are,” Simek says. “We are a young program and people need to keep that in perspective. We are still striving to achieve our goals.”

“There is tremendous energy in the building for what is going to come forth this year,” Siegel says. “It’s an incredible environment for incoming [students] and there are a lot of fun things to be a part of. People can come down in groups and be a part of it as we build our program.”