Head over to Ragan-Brown Field House and you'll find something new waiting outside.

It isn't flashy. It doesn't announce itself with bright colors or oversized lettering. It simply invites you to sit.

But for the men who have gathered to play Guilford College's legendary Geezer Basketball Game for the past half-century, the handcrafted steel bench installed represents something more than a place to rest. It is a permanent reminder that the game has never really been about basketball.

It has always been about friendship.

"Friendship First," the words arching over the bench declare.

That simple phrase has guided the twice-weekly pickup game since it began in 1975, when faculty and staff started gathering before work or at lunch. Fifty years later, the game continues every Monday and Friday, drawing retired professors, current employees and alumni who still lace up their sneakers..

The idea for commemorating that remarkable milestone began quietly as the game's 50th anniversary approached.

Retired Dana Professor of Psychology Richie Zweigenhaft found himself reflecting on an extraordinary accomplishment few pickup basketball games can claim — lasting five decades.

"I started thinking maybe we should acknowledge it in a more determined way," he says.

The inspiration arrived from an unexpected place: a small savings account he had quietly built over the years from royalties earned through his books and scholarly writing.

"It wasn't all that much money," Richie says. "But enough that I wanted to do something meaningful with it instead of letting it disappear into paying the usual bills."

Then came what he calls the light-bulb moment.

Years earlier, Richie had worked with renowned Greensboro sculptor Jim Gallucci on a memorial bench honoring the late Guilford Psychology professor Claire Morse outside King Hall. Why not create something similar celebrating the Geezer Game?

He reached out to former players, affectionately known as the "Geezers," asking them to contribute.

The response was immediate.

"It didn't take long," Richie says. "We quickly had what I knew would be enough money."

Jim enthusiastically embraced the project, developing three design concepts before meeting with Richie and his wife, Lisa, over beers at Oden Brewing — their now-traditional setting for creative discussions.

Then the project stopped.

As Guilford entered one financial crisis after another, eventually being placed on probation by its accreditor, Richie decided the timing was wrong.

"I said, 'Let's put this project on hold,'" he recalls. "I didn't want to put up something intended to last a long time if Guilford was on the ropes."

The plans remained shelved for roughly a year.

Only after Guilford secured its financial footing, emerged from probation and welcomed President Jean Bordewich did Richie feel the moment was right to move forward.

"We raised the money we needed," he says. "The SACS team came, and we went off probation. When that happened, I told Jim, 'Let's go.'"

Working with campus leaders, including Athletics Director Bill Foti and former Facilities Manager Brian Wenger, the group settled on a bench rather than the bike rack Jim had initially proposed. Cycling traffic around Ragan-Brown had diminished, making seating the more practical choice.

The finished sculpture reflects both basketball and community.

A graceful steel arch frames the bench. Above sits a basketball hoop with an iron ball appearing ready to drop through the net. Basketballs decorate the sides. Across the arch are the words: "Friendship First — A Gift from the Geezers."

Soon, a nearby plaque will explain the game's history, noting its founding in 1975, its 50th anniversary in 2025 and the spirit that has sustained it.

"The game has always been a friendly game," Richie says. "It's competitive, but it's certainly friendly."

That spirit continues today.

Although roughly 20 current and former participants remain on the email list, a typical Monday or Friday morning draws between eight and 12 players — enough for spirited games, plenty of laughs and, perhaps most importantly, another chance to spend time together.

The bench ensures future generations will know that story.