Introducing the Panther Pack Instagram page

Jimmy Farley, middle, assembling students as part of the Panther Pack Instagram page at a Feb. 5 Chapman basketball game against California Lutheran University. SAM ANDRUS Staff Photographer

Last semester, The Panther asked Chapman athletes about their thoughts on student attendance of fall sporting events. While athletes mentioned they were taking efforts to raise awareness, they nonetheless recounted experiences when they felt a distinct lack of support from the stands.

Enter Jimmy Farley and the Panther Pack.

The Panther Pack is a group founded by freshman Farley in December 2019 that is “dedicated to raising Chapman spirit,” according to its Instagram, which has now accumulated over 230 followers. The page also offers information about game times, player backgrounds and statistics.

Players on the men’s basketball team said the team has seen an uptick in crowd turnout since Farley first posted on the Panther Pack Instagram page on Dec. 29, 2019.

“It’s been huge to feel this kind of love on campus,” said junior guard Brennan Corrigan. “Since this account has started it has been incredible – the amount of students that have been pulling up to games.” Farley, a freshman business major, has a long history of participating in sports – whether it be on the court or in the stands.

“In high school I did a very similar thing, (called) 6th man,” Farley said. “It was a club that brought everyone out to sports games and hyped up the students. It helped me stay connected with the sports community after I stopped playing.”

His admiration for school spirit carried over after he enrolled in Chapman.

“I came to Chapman and realized no one cared about sports,” Farley said. “So I thought, ‘this has to happen.’”

Farley runs the page by himself, spending 12-14 hours per week creating content. He posts 2-3 times a week and spends hours creating graphics, videos and meeting with other athletes - including Corrigan and sophomore forward Anthony Giomi.

“I mentioned this idea to (Corrigan) and (Giomi), saying I might do it,” Farley said. “They said, ‘No, you are doing it.’”

At the moment, there is exclusively basketball content on the Panther Pack Instagram page, with men’s basketball accumulating most of the attention. Farley has been reaching out to different athletes across Chapman sports teams, including women’s lacrosse and men’s lacrosse, to grow his platform. Meanwhile, Farley has been experimenting with different forms of content as a way to try and raise interaction. One of those is “Pack Talk,” a video podcast series on the Panther Pack Instagram page hosted by Farley, during which he asks players questions about themselves and storylines occurring within the team and program.

“I want to get Pack Talk going so fans get to know the players,” Farley said. “It’s the future of the page.” The Panther Pack is still in an early phase of its conception, but its presence has made a noticeable difference in student support at home games, and Farley is excited to see it develop into the future.