All is not calm in Indiana!
Thousands of Taylor University fans stormed the basketball court as part of the prestigious Christian school’s cherished — yet chaotic — annual “Silent Night” Christmas tradition on Friday night.
Junior Pete Combs’ show-stopping jam turned the volume to the max inside the sold-out Odle Arena in Upland, Ind., when emphatic celebration broke out three and a half minutes into the Trojans’ 118-33 win against Moody Bible Institute.
Combs scored the Trojans’ 10th point during Taylor’s 28th annual “Silent Night” tradition, which ignited the crowd of 2,217 fans to flood the court.
As part of the “Silent Night,” basketball fans are required to sit in silence until the Trojans score their 10th point — then comes the mayhem.
College students, most dressed in different themed costumes, invaded the playing surface in a matter of seconds, turning the private Christian institute gymnasium into a raucous club-like atmosphere.
Players from the Moody Bible Institute rushed off the court as they were swarmed by the joyous student body.
Overhead footage from the Taylor’s athletic department captured the chaos on the floor as students grouped around center court, shouting and jumping around to the music.
Before the game, the students are held outside the gym and then released like a pack of wild animals, racing across the court to secure the best seats in the student section.
Multiple Fred Flintstone impersonators gathered on the court as others dove into the bleachers, spreading their bodies across several seats to save for their group of friends.
Students who cosplayed as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, chefs, crayons, Egyptian Pharaohs, Loraxes, Pickles, construction workers and even the Grinch stood together to take in the game.
This year’s game debuted the school’s new mascot, “on the biggest stage,” according to the school.
After the court was eventually cleared, and Taylor was charged with a timeout, noisy shenanigans filled the once-quiet, sold-out arena.
Played resume after the six-minute delay with the Trojans up 10-5 with 16:15 left in the first half against the Moody Archers, a National Christian College Athletic Association member from Chicago, Illinois.
During one time out, a student dressed as the prophet “Moses” took the floor and led the crowd in a choreographed movement by parting the sea of students before racing up to the top of the bleachers in celebration.
In the final two minutes of the second half, the students locked arms and swayed back and forth to sing “Silent Night” to end the game.
Taylor University, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, holds the “Silent Night” tradition each year, only missing it because the 2020 season was canceled because of COVID-19.
The school doesn’t receive a technical foul as a media timeout is called the moment the 10th point is scored.
The game is always played on the Friday before finals week, and rightfully ends with the singing of “Silent Night.”
In the 1980s, students began wearing pajamas to the game, but the 10th point wasn’t celebrated until the 1997 contest.
The school has a 27-1 record during the “Silent Night” game with its only loss coming against Grace University, a 73-71 defeat on Dec. 7, 2018.
