Excitement is building and tickets are going fast for the 2017 Pack Prather promotion Saturday, aiming to fill Prather Coliseum for Northwestern State’s Southland Conference basketball doubleheader against rival Stephen F. Austin.

The women’s game between the schools starts at 1. The men’s contest follows at 3:30. The first 500 fans in the arena will receive NSU rally towels.

The NSU Alumni Association is hosting a tailgating party in the front of Prather Coliseum. For $10, guests can enjoy a bottomless buffet of hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, chips and drinks and live entertainment by Beaux Atkins.

It’s NSU Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day, sponsored by CP-Tel, which is providing two free tickets for each NSU faculty and staff member – provided they are picked up by 5 p.m. Friday at the NSU Athletic Fieldhouse’s ticket office. The university employees will be treated to free food at the Alumni Association tailgate.

Fans can donate 10 canned goods to the NSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council’s Hunger Drive in advance and receive a coupon to purchase a $5 general admission ticket. NSU students will get a free T-shirt for participating. Items most needed: canned meats (chicken, tuna), peanut butter, cereals and breakfast bars, and bottled water.

Donations are being accepted this week at the Johnny Emmons Academic Study Center in the fieldhouse, and SAAC will have a donation table set up in front of Prather Coliseum on game day.

NSU student-athletes who earned a letter last year will be presented their letter jackets during the afternoon by members of the N-Club, the association of former athletic letterwinners. Male letterwinners will receive their letterjackets at halftime of the Lady Demons’ game, and the female letterwinners will be honored at halftime of the men’s contest.

Just over 600 tickets remained available Monday evening at 3,400-seat Prather Coliseum for the doubleheader Saturday.