On March 10, 2017, the Erie SeaWolves made national headlines for their upcoming "Alternative Facts Night" promotion, held on Friday, August 25, 2017. Their opponent was the Akron RubberDucks, whose alternative name was the "Akron Yellow Bath Toys" for the game. The promotion is a reference to a popular culture trend following a news story in which Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to U.S. president, Donald Trump, coined the phrase "alternative facts" to bolster a disputed claim by White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, that more people attended Trump's presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017 than the first inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. The SeaWolves will host Alternative Facts Night to "celebrate facts that the team knows to be true — even if some media outlets may dispute them." As part of the promotion, the first 1,000 fans will receive a 2016 SeaWolves Eastern League Championship ring, although the title was actually earned by the RubberDucks. The club also expects to have 1.2 million fans attend the game between Erie and Akron, even though UPMC Park only has a seating capacity of 6,000. The actual proceeds for Alternative Facts Night will go to the cash-strapped Erie City School District.