Oakland Zoo (cheering Section) - Notoriety

Notoriety

The Oakland Zoo has been noted as being one of the most formidable student cheering sections in college basketball. The Zoo has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, and has been featured on ESPN in various segments including ESPNU Campus Connection Week on January 19, 2009, ESPN Student Spirit Week on January 16, 2007, and ESPN "College Basketball GameDay" on January 13, 2007. According to an anonymous poll of league players published by Sports Illustrated, the Oakland Zoo has helped make the Petersen Events Center the "Toughest Place to Play" in the Big East Conference. Anonymous players in the article were quoted describing the Oakland Zoo with the following descriptions: "The fans get there early to start heckling you. It's like a zoo." and "The student section is next to the court, and the fans there say some creative stuff." In 2013, the Petersen Events Center, with specific mention of the Oakland Zoo, was ranked as the nation's second best game atmosphere arena by USA Today. Some members of the Oakland Zoo have been known to wear body paint, wigs, masks, or animal-themed costumes that have included, at various times, giraffes, moose, penguins, gorillas, bears, among other species.

The Zoo has also been lauded by many notable visitors to the Pete including Dallas Maverick's owner Mark Cuban and national college basketball pundits such as Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale who have described it as a "phenomenal" and one of the "top" college cheering sections giving a "tremendous home court advantage" with an atmosphere demonstrating "college hoops at its best".

The Zoo was an instrumental member of the Inspiring Pitt Pride Committee that won recognition for the University as being one of five institutions that received the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association's "Sportsmanship Recognition Award" in 2006.

In 2011, Pitt debuted custom Nike Hyper Elite jerseys featuring an aerographic with the Oakland Zoo logo on the back. Pitt described this as the first NCAA basketball jersey to ever showcase their respective student section.

In December 2011, ESPN's Eammonn Brennan and Dana O'Neil solicited feedback regarding the best student sections in all of NCAA Division I. They later listed their top-5 in a podcast discussion, naming the Oakland Zoo the second best in the nation, behind only Duke and the Cameron Crazies.

During the 2011-12 season, the Oakland Zoo, in collaboration with university's student radio station WPTS-FM, created The Oakland Zoo Show. Broadcast live locally on WPTS and streamed over the internet, the radio show starts 30 minutes before every Pitt men's basketball home game and is cohosted by the entire Oakland Zoo student section. During the broadcast of the game that follows, game stoppages also include live check-ins with the Zoo.

Although credited by Pitt coaches, players and opponents alike for creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams which has helped the men's team to a 13-1 record against visiting top 10 ranked teams (9-0 vs top 5), the Oakland Zoo has also been noted for its ability to impress football recruits during visits to Pitt basketball games. Elite high school running back prospect LeSean McCoy credited the Zoo's warm reception for him during a 2007 visit in helping to cement his decision to sign the University of Pittsburgh. Gateway High School linebacker, Shayne Hale, also credited the Zoo with his recruiting. Hale attended a game with high school teammate and friend Cameron Saddler. To the cheers of the Zoo, Hale put on a Zoo shirt and joined the Zoo for a portion of the game.