The men’s and women’s basketball teams will kick off their seasons Friday night in Reynolds Coliseum with the first ever “BBallin’ at the Old Barn.”

The event, which will last from 9 to 11 p.m., will include a men’s open practice followed by speeches from women’s coach Kay Yow and men’s coach Sidney Lowe, a hot-shot competition and a three-point contest. After the contests, the players and coaches will hold a 30-minute autograph session.

The idea is a throwback to the Midnight Madness the team had under former coach Jim Valvano in the 1980s.

Chris Alston, director of sports marketing and promotions, said the original idea was to actually have Midnight Madness, but it would have fallen on the Friday of fall break. He said Lowe, who is a former player of Valvano’s, was concerned too many students would not be able to attend.

“Coach Lowe wanted to do something in Reynolds this year to really get the students involved and get everyone excited,” Alston said.

Alston said the committee, which is using the term “Old Barn”, was trying to tie in the program’s history with the name, but the reference was lost on many younger Wolfpack fans.

“That originated way back when Reynolds was hosting the Dixie Classic’s,” Alston said. “Reynolds was known as the ‘Old Barn.’ Since we’ve put out the name, we’ve realized a lot of the students didn’t know where it came from. Of course, the older alumni knew exactly where it came from.”

In recent years, the Red/White game has been the big preseason fan event. “BBallin’ at the Barn” will not replace this year’s Red/White game, which will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the RBC Center before the Oct. 27 football game against Virginia. Rather, this event will be unique because it will include both the men’s and women’s teams — and it will be more lighthearted, placing emphasis on fan interaction.

Junior guard Courtney Fells said he is looking forward to starting a new tradition.

“This is the first time myself and a couple of other guys have been involved in this type of event,” Fells said. “Coach Sendek didn’t do certain things like this. We are really excited about it and we’re looking forward to it.”

Women’s basketball forward senior Khadijah Whittington said she is looking forward to competing against the men’s team in some of the contests. She believes teammate junior Shayla Fields will beat the men in three-point competition.

“Shayla’s going to take down the three-point championship,” Whittington said. “I think that it will be fun considering that the guys are going to be there. I’m excited about that.”

The event will run in conjunction with Friday night’s volleyball match against Miami. The volleyball match is at 6 p.m. on the main court instead of in the end zone, where the team typically plays.

People who attend the volleyball match will be allowed to keep their seats for “BBallin’ at the Old Barn.” The gates to Reynolds open at 5 p.m., and admission is free to both events.

The athletic department will be giving away Crocs to the first 500 students at Reynolds on Friday night. Also, there will be an ultimate fan contest where prizes will be awarded to the fan with the wildest attire.

Fells said he expects there will be a great atmosphere at the “Old Barn”.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of people there,” Fells said. “They really like coach Lowe and support N.C. State, so I’m sure there will be a lot of people there to see what the season will be like this year.”