At 12:08 this morning, all was silent in the athletic complex. Blodgett Pool was empty. Dillon Field House was empty. Briggs Athletic Center was empty.

"Midnight Madness" it wasn't.

Spirits ran high late last night across most of the country as schools geared up for "Midnight Madness," the official NCAA opening of college men's basketball practice for the season.

Previous to this year, teams were not allowed to hold practice until November 1. But prodded by possible television revenues and an extra weekend of college basketball, the NCAA moved up the starting date.

Massachusetts was scheduled to hit the court at just past midnight, but team members and fans began gathering at the 9,500-seat Mullins Center much earlier.

ESPN was to film the practice for a college basketball special. The cable sports channel was also scheduled to film the practices at North Carolina and Kentucky.

But while Kentucky Coach Rick Pitino addressed the student body and Tar Heels partied at the Dean Smith Dome, the leaves in the entry of Briggs Cage were undisturbed and the only noise came from passing cars on Harvard Avenue.

There were nine cars in the main athletic complex parking lot. The Briggs doors were locked for the night as the ivy rustled in the wind.

As college students across the country lined up for their season tickets, the shade was drawn on Harvard's ticket window.

"It's the start of something good," said Massachusetts Assistant Coach John Robic.

The lights were on in Briggs. But nobody was home.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this article.