While everyone stood and cheered on their Binghamton University basketball teams Friday night, one stand-out group is always prevalent in the Events Center: the BU ZOO.

Senior Dan Cherico, the president of the Zoo, has a few goals for this year’s group including optimal turnout and fans also showing up at road games.

‘We want everyone to show up to games, home and away,’ Cherico said.

Matt Boccio, a Zoo member since his freshman year, added, ‘We really want to expand to more games out of Binghamton.’

While there were some complaints last year about ‘assigned seating,’ Cherico made it clear that the Zoo is not trying to segregate, but just trying to make the fans more organized.

‘We are never going to throw someone out because they are not registered,’ Cherico said.

Bradley Small, last year’s vice president of the Zoo, added that he was happy how it was run last year and that ‘the goal should be to get a group of people to show up to games and support our team while rattling the opponents.’

The Zoo has built a reputation around the league for being outspoken and rowdy. In fact, in the 2005 AE Tournament hosted by Binghamton, the Bearcats defeated Albany in the quarterfinals 76-70. The defeat lead Albany head coach Will Brown to prepare for their January matchup with the Bearcats in the Events Center the following year a little differently. While Brown’s team practiced, he blasted loud music to simulate the crowd and the Zoo’s noise.

‘That’s what they talk about around the conference,’ Small said. ‘When we have fans there, when it’s packed, it’s going to throw them off their game as well as propel our players.’

But what all three guys continued to push was the fact that fans should come out and support the team, and be fans whether the team is winning or losing.

‘Don’t be a fair-weather fan,’ added Small. ‘If you are there cheering for them in November, you should be there in February and March as well, no matter what.’