High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Midnight Madness is an annual event on college campuses that celebrates the first day in mid-October that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season. In some cases, the name has literal meaning since an event is scheduled starting at midnight at the very first moment that is allowed. Some other campuses have sunrise practice session events on the opening day of the season, while others have theirs during prime time. The event has become both a form of boosterism and recruiting. In some cases, the teams are both celebrating the potential of a new team and the success of the previous season`s teams. Schools sometimes schedule banner raising events in conjunction with the event. In 2010, events began on Friday, October 15 with the actual practice occurring at midnight on Saturday, October 16.