“Only at Duquesne can a guy deliver food on the court during the game.”
That was Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot’s reaction to the bizarre viral moment of a delivery person walking onto the court during Wednesday night’s Duquesne-Loyola Chicago men’s college basketball game. Fans on social media shared similar disbelief, pointing out that it raised several questions about the school’s safety measures. Duquesne responded with a statement the following day.
“The University has reviewed its safety protocols and tightened its security measures to ensure conditions for our players and fans are safe and meet the standards for the highest level of competition in college basketball,” the statement read.
The moment took place with just over 16 minutes remaining in the second half of Wednesday’s contest, when an individual holding a bag of McDonald’s wandered onto the court while the game was in progress. The game was briefly stopped as the referees sorted out the incident, with one member of the officiating crew sharing “that was a first” for him.
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In the same statement, the university clarified it was indeed a prank that was “planned in advance” and “done for internet exposure.”
“Duquesne University strives to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for guests and participants at all events on our campus. We also rely on common courtesy and the civility of those in attendance to adhere to the guidelines that are in place,” the statement read. “This was a prank, planned in advance, done for internet exposure. We determined that the individual was wearing a mic while someone filmed him as he walked on to the court during active play. While the incident may have seemed funny at the time, and no harm was done, we are mindful that incidents like this can put players and officials at risk.”
There are varying reports of whether the individual appeared to be delivering for Uber Eats or DoorDash, but a TikTok video clearly shows him saying “DoorDash” as he was ushered off the court.
Regardless, both food delivery services took to Twitter, firing friendly jabs back and forth at one another about who was responsible for the “lost order.”
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi got wind of the incident and also shared some comical commentary on Twitter early Thursday morning.
“New adjustment required for our Uber Eats routing algorithms,” Khosrowshabi joked.
Duquesne returns to action Saturday with a road matchup against UMass. The Dukes’ next home game is scheduled for Feb. 8 vs. George Mason.
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