The first six home games of Saint Peter’s 2021–22 season were played in front of announced crowds of less than 500 people, in a gym that rivals that of some nearby high schools.
Even just the thought of that team playing in front of a packed NBA arena a little more than two months later felt impossible.
Supporters of the program took planes, trains and automobiles to get to the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia to see it play this weekend, but there may not have been many more than 500 people in Friday’s arena who were Saint Peter’s fans before March 15. Still, make no mistake: It was a Peacocks home game in Philly. Basketball fans from everywhere adopted this consummate underdog over the last nine days, and the bandwagon hasn’t stopped growing yet.
