Davidson College's NCAA Appearance by the Numbers --- Google, T-Shirts, Astronauts and REM

Newswise — Davidson College has been getting a lot of attention since the 10th-seed Wildcats upset Gonzaga, 2nd-seed Georgetown and 3rd-seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
In advance of Davidson’s Sunday evening game against Kansas, here’s an informal look at how the tournament is affecting some of Davidson’s numbers.

Average regular daily sales at Davidson College Bookstore before Sunday, March 23: $1,700

Daily sales at Davidson College Bookstore on Wednesday, March 26 (the first day “Sweet 16” t-shirts were available): $35,000

#1 – Place of “Davidson College” on Googletrends’ list of most-searched words on the nights Davidson beat Georgetown and Wisconsin (“hotness trend: volcanic”)

Teams with bulldog mascots that have been beaten by Davidson in the NCAA tournament: 2

Bulldog toys stuffed into the mouth of the Wildcat statue on the Davidson campus: 1

Number of consecutive games Davidson has won to date: 25 (longest winning streak in the country)

Players on Davidson’s team: 14

Players who come from countries outside the U.S.: 6

Players who speak French fluently: At least 4

Years Bob McKillop has coached at Davidson: 19

Percentage of McKillop’s four-year players who have graduated in that period: 100

People currently orbiting Earth and simultaneously rooting for the Wildcats: At least 1 (Navy Lt. Dominic Gorie, commander of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, the father of Davidson junior Kim Gorie)

Super-smash alt bands who support the Wildcats: At least 1 (REM has posted a message of support on their Website)

Percentage increase in transfer inquiries received by Davidson’s Admission Office since Davidson’s win over Georgetown: 1,200 percent

Since the Georgetown game, calls to the Admission Office inquiring about Davidson’s application deadline (which has already passed): 10

Unsolicited applications received since the Georgetown win, even though Davidson’s deadline has passed: 1

Reported number of Facebook “friend” requests received by one member of the Davidson basketball team after Sunday’s victory: 1,800

Miles from the Davidson campus in Davidson, N.C. to Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. (the arena hosting Davidson’s “Sweet 16” game against Wisconsin): 648.65

Buses secured by the college to transport interested students to the game (Davidson’s Board of Trustees created a fund to cover the cost): 7

Students making the trip by bus: Approximately 350

Seating capacity of Ford Field for the NCAA Tournament: 72,000

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, townspeople and others who rallied to wave goodbye to the team when the Wildcats’ bus left campus Wednesday, March 26: Perhaps 1,000

Doughnuts consumed at the on-campus “pep rally” broadcast during the CBS Early Show Thursday, March 27: 600

Times the Pep Band led pep rally guests in rousing versions of “Sweet Caroline”: 2

Year in which Davidson last competed in the NCAA Tournament: 1969

Days that Tom Ross ’72 has been Davidson’s president (he counts): 242

Average days per year that it’s a great day to be a Wildcat: 365