The University of Maine women’s basketball team has traditionally been blessed with some of the best fan support in America East.

Even so, the conference office is encouraging UMaine and other league women’s programs to reach out to other potential fans – once per season.

That explains why the Black Bears are playing a midweek day game next month. UMaine will tip off its Feb. 7 home game against Albany at noon rather than the usual 7:30 p.m. start time.

Athletic director Blake James said UMaine specifically chose the date for its midweek day game. It is National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

“We’ve planned a significant celebration around the 35th year of Title IX,” James said. “We have a whole list of events, including a breakfast and a speaker that night.”

This is the 21st annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates the positive influence of sports participation and recognizes the challenge for equality and access for women in sport.

James said because school-age fans normally wouldn’t attend midweek games that start at 7:30 p.m., the noon option might encourage schools to organize class trips to attend the game and learn about the NGWSD initiative.

“If we were going to do an afternoon game, we wanted to do one that would give us the opportunity to get as many youth involved with the game as we could,” James said. “Hopefully, we’ll attract people that normally wouldn’t be able to come out to a [night] game.”

Some UMaine season ticket holders are upset about the noon game, since it falls during normal business hours. James is aware of their concerns.

“The time does present a challenge for somebody that does have a regular 9-to-5-type working schedule,” James said.

“We’re working on addressing that issue for those people that are negatively impacted by this,” said James, who would not reveal what relief UMaine plans to provide for fans who are unable to attend the Feb. 7 game.

America East Commissioner Patrick Nero first suggested playing a midweek day game last season and recommended during the summer athletic directors meeting that schools try it again this season.

Matt Bourque, the league’s associate commissioner, said the plan has been successful at some conference schools.

“UMBC [Maryland Baltimore County] set an attendance record and BU [Boston University] had its largest crowd of the year,” Bourque said of the effort in 2005-06.

He explained the same strategy has been successful in the professional ranks, in the Women’s National Basketball Association, and at some other colleges.

On Wednesday, the University at Albany played host to Vermont in a noon contest. The Great Danes had their largest crowd of the season (1,130) and knocked off America East leader Vermont.

That is nearly twice Albany’s average of 607 fans.

Bourque offered that the plan might have more credence for teams that don’t usually draw exceptionally well, especially those located in urban areas.

“The Maines and the Binghamtons of the world that have strong fan bases and season ticket holders, it probably is harder to do it [successfully] at their places,” he said.

The Bears will be involved in another midweek day game next Wednesday when they play at UMBC. Vermont visits New Hampshire on Feb. 28 at 1 p.m.

Five of the nine America East women’s basketball programs have scheduled Wednesday day games for 11 a.m., noon, or 1 p.m. this season.

Bourque said while he doesn’t anticipate the conference mandating such games in the future, they have generally been well received.

“I think the benefits outweigh any of those negatives where it is one game, especially trying to get young kids on campus,” Bourque said.

James said school officials who are interested in attending the Feb. 7 game and NGWSD activities should call 581-4849 or 581-1086.

UMaine prepares for ‘Pink Out’

The UMaine women’s basketball team is hosting a “Pink Out” Night for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game against Boston University.

Coach Ann McInerney and the Black Bears hope to call attention to the fight against breast cancer by wearing pink shirts during pregame warmups and on the bench.

UMaine also will conduct a “Pink Tees for Maine Threes” promotion during which cheerleaders will throw free pink T-shirts into the crowd after each 3-point basket made by a Black Bear during the game. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game in support of the effort.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program, the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition, Caring Connection, Penquis CAP, Buddy 2 Buddy, and the American Cancer Society will all be handing out breast cancer information at the game.