Wednesday, August 30, 2006

                JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (August 30, 2006) - During the upcoming men's basketball season, the ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Pirate Club Scholarship Fund, and Phil Bachman Toyota/Scion have teamed up to honor the best players to ever wear a Buccaneer uniform.

            Special lapel pins will be designed based on a special fan vote at ETSUBucs.com, which will select the top five players in Buccaneer basketball history. Each pin will be made to look like the replica jerseys for each player, and the first 2,000 fans to arrive for five selected home matchups will receive a different pin each game.

            To begin the selection process, the ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is requesting nominations from fans. The Top 15 players to receive nominations will be included in an on-line survey at ETSUBucs.com. The deadline for nominations will be Sept. 15, with voting to be held at ETSUBucs.com from Sept. 15 through Oct. 1. Fans can e-mail their nominations to whitem@etsu.edu.

            "ETSU has had a rich tradition in basketball and we thought it would be a good time to honor the very best to have donned the Blue and Gold," said ETSU Director of Marketing and Outside Sales Kevin Bostian. "From Tom Chilton to Tim Smith, our fans have watched some great players, and we want them to be a part of the selection process."

            Giveaway dates for the pin promotion are listed below.

11/15: Pin #1 - ETSU vs. Chattanooga

1/4: Pin #2 - ETSU vs. Lipscomb

1/13: Pin #3 - ETSU vs. North Florida

1/19: Pin #4 - ETSU vs. Kennesaw State

2/2: Pin #5 - ETSU vs. Gardner-Webb