Good Morning, FAU Fam. Are you ready for some hoops? The sixth annual Paradise Madness tips off Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, and it's free to get in! Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 6:30, featuring team introductions for both the men and women, a women's skills challenge, a combined 3-point shootout with fans competing alongside players, and a 20-minute men's scrimmage to close it out.

A group of lucky fans will also take half-court shots for a prize. Everyone gets a Paradise Madness t-shirt, with Habit Burger coupons, gift card raffles, and t-shirt tosses throughout the night.

What else do we have mixed into today’s Brew? Check it out below!

🏈 Top 10 Material
🏐 Milestone Weekend
🦉 And much, much more

🔼 Top 10 Material. Easton Messer's 73-yard punt return touchdown in the 45-17 win at ULM landed at No. 3 on SportsCenter's daily Top 10, and on Monday it earned him American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. The return ties for the second-longest in program history and was the first punt return score by an Owl since 2023. Messer currently leads all active FBS players in receptions. It's the third straight week an Owl has been recognized by the conference.

🔼 Packed Week In Paradise. The Owls are busy at home this week, with volleyball bookending the weekend by opening conference play against Temple on Friday and Rice on Sunday. Football hosts Texas Southern on Saturday at 6 p.m., and men's soccer welcomes Temple on Friday night. Women's soccer kicks things off tomorrow against in-state and conference foe South Florida at 7 p.m. Thursday also brings Inside the Owls' Burrow and the Coaches Radio Show at Duffy's, plus a Paradise Patrol stop at Clematis by Night Oktoberfest in West Palm Beach.

Pet of the Game. Introducing the 2026 Nozzle Nolen Pest & Lawn Solutions Pet of the Game Contest. Get those “Pet Pics” ready and enter to win at www.fausports.com/pet!

🔼 Milestone Weekend. Maya Van Heyst crossed 3,000 career assists during a 51-assist night at UTSA, capping a Texas road swing that earned her American Conference Honorable Mention. The graduate setter led the league with 95 assists over the two matches, averaging 9.5 per set while adding 16 digs, seven kills, an ace, and a block. Her effort helped the Owls pull off a five-set reverse sweep in San Antonio. It's the fifth American weekly award for FAU this season.

🔼 Set-Piece Specialists. Emil Lausten and Enzo Rabot connected twice in four minutes to open Saturday's 4-3 win at Tulsa, and both earned their first career American Conference Weekly Honorable Mention for it. Rabot delivered on a corner in the 12th minute and a free kick in the 16th, with Lausten heading home both. Rabot added a third assist in the second half on a Francesco Aiello goal, becoming the seventh player in program history with three helpers in a single match.

Kickoff Kid. Making memories of a lifetime at Flagler Credit Union Stadium! Enter your KID to be the Flagler Credit Union Kickoff Kid.

🔼 Newcomers Go Perfect. Florida Atlantic women's tennis opened its individual season at the Bedford Cup in Tampa, and the three newest Owls didn't lose a match. Anastasiya Kolyada, Vanesa Vlahova, and Ioana Sava combined to go 11-0 across the three-day event, with Kolyada taking the White Flight title outright by dropping just one set on her way to the championship. Alexia Patru also reached the Green Flight final. Seniors Malwina Rowinska and Panna Bartha head to Nashville next for the ITF W15 Championship, Sept. 28 through Oct. 4.

WPBF 25 IS PROUD TO BE AN OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF FLORIDA ATLANTIC ATHLETICS.

🔼 Inside the Owls’ Burrow. Episode 7 of Inside the Owls' Burrow breaks down the road win at ULM with Hagerty Family Head Coach Zach Kittley, mics up special teams coordinator Tyler Schovanec at practice, catches up with former Owl James Pierre as he nears his 100th NFL game, and features graduate defensive tackle Blake Burris. It all airs tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. ET on The Spot, South Florida 39, and 6 p.m. ET on The Spot, South Florida 9.

🔼 Bronze In Brazil. Denisse Morgenstern is bringing home a medal. The Florida Atlantic junior teamed with Fiorella Nunez Quintana to represent Paraguay at the South American Beach Volleyball Championship in João Pessoa, going 5-2 and taking third place overall. After falling to the eventual champions in the semifinals, the pair dropped the opening set of the bronze-medal match before storming back to win the next two. The Sandy Owls open their fall schedule Oct. 10-11 at the FAU Beach Volleyball Complex.

Which four kinds of touchdowns has Easton Messer recorded, a program first?

Have a guess?

Scroll to the bottom to find out!

Season tickets for the 2026 Florida Atlantic Football season are now on sale through the Owls Ticket Office. Season tickets to support your Hometown Team start at just $75. Purchase 2026 season tickets!

*All Times Are in ET


Wednesday, Sept. 30
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF W15 (Nashville, Tenn.)

Thursday, Oct. 1
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF W15 (Nashville, Tenn.)
⚽ Women’s Soccer vs. South Florida @ 7 p.m. | Watch: ESPN+

Friday, Oct. 2
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF W15 (Nashville, Tenn.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Bedford Cup (Orlando, Fla.)
🏐 Volleyball vs. Temple @ 6 p.m.
⚽ Men’s Soccer vs. Temple @ 7 p.m. | Watch: ESPN+

Saturday, Oct. 3
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF W15 (Nashville, Tenn.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Bedford Cup (Orlando, Fla.)
🏈 Football vs. Texas Southern @ 6 p.m. | Watch: ESPN+ | Tickets

Sunday, Oct. 4
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITF W15 (Nashville, Tenn.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ Bedford Cup (Orlando, Fla.)
🏐 Volleyball vs. Rice @ 1 p.m. | Watch: ESPN+

Monday, Oct. 5
⛳ Men’s Golf @ West Bay Collegiate Invitational (Estero, Fla.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ BTT Cup (Boca Raton, Fla.)

Tuesday, Oct. 6
⛳ Men’s Golf @ West Bay Collegiate Invitational (Estero, Fla.)
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ BTT Cup (Boca Raton, Fla.)
⚽ Men’s Soccer @ Florida Gulf Coast @ 7 p.m. (Fort Myers, Fla.) | Watch: ESPN+

Wednesday, Oct. 7
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ BTT Cup (Boca Raton, Fla.)
🏀 Paradise Madness @ 6:30 p.m. | More Info

Thursday, Oct. 8
🎾 Men’s Tennis @ BTT Cup (Boca Raton, Fla.)
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ Regionals (Miami, Fla.)
⚽ Women’s Soccer @ North Texas @ 8 p.m. (Denton, Texas) | Watch: ESPN+

🦉 Go here for the complete Florida Atlantic University Athletics Calendar

Answer: Passing, rushing, receiving, and return.

🦉 Have a great Wednesday, Owl Fam!