Delivery person who crashed the Loyola-Duquesne game was part of a prank

PITTSBURGH – It was one of the more unusual moments of the college basketball season that quickly went viral across the country.

In the end, however, it wasn’t an organic thing, but rather part of a prank.

The delivery person who wandered onto a corner of the court during the Loyola-Duquesne game in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night was taking part in the creation of a social media video, Duquesne announced in a statement late this week.

A person in a yellow jacket holding McDonald’s saying “DoorDash?” wandered onto the UMPC Cooper Fieldhouse floor in the second half of Wednesday’s game between the Ramblers and the Dukes. He ended up just a foot away from Loyola guard Philip Alston as he was looking to pass the ball to a teammate.

The game had to be stopped briefly after the person entered the court, but the game resumed as he continued in the stands with the skit. Loyola would go on to lose the game 72-58.

In response to the incident, Duquesne said that they’ll begin to review their safety protocols moving forward at sporting events.

“We strive 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 school said in a statement. “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 onto 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.

“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.”