For seventy-two years, Mercer University has been without football. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 by Japan, Mercer was one of 131 colleges that participated in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which readied students by training them to join the US Navy. During that time, Mercer football was dropped. But after a long hibernation, the Bears have finally come back for a triumphant return!
The completion of Mercer University’s Football Stadium offers a wealth of new opportunities both for the university and for its students. For one, students now have an exciting event to attend on the weekends! There is also a chance for various organizations at Mercer to really show their stuff, like the marching band, cheerleaders, dance team, and more. As well as providing job opportunities for on-campus workers, it also allows for incredible investments and income from companies and the community, not to mention the money earned by tickets from Maconites and out-of-towners.
Any fan of football knows that come game day, tailgating is sure to follow! There are a couple of rules about this hallowed tradition, so here’s what you need to know. The new Cruz Plaza will be the official student tailgating center, so make sure to head over there on game day and set up your tents, grills, and music! Tailgating for non-students will be held by the parking lot by the Hilton Garden Inn. Please be sure to be respectful of others while tailgating, and to pick up any messes that you make, so that we can keep our campus beautiful!
While Mercer tried to implement an open bottle policy in certain areas around the stadium, sadly that did not stop some from breaking that rule. Traveling to the game from my apartment, I witnessed many people, students and guests alike, drinking alcohol in and around the stadium. People were even meeting others by the gates near the back of the student section, passing drinks between the bars. Although Mercer’s staff should be commended for their efforts, the attempt to curb the consumption of alcohol during the game was not very successful. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for future events should Mercer continue to keep an open bottle policy limited to a few zones during football games.
Mercer’s ticket distribution policy has also been hit and miss. For those of you who attended the Mercer Football Open Practice Event and got there a little late, you may have been given lower priority ticket vouchers, meaning by the time you actually got tickets, most of the better seats had been taken. A recipient of a standing-room only ticket, I was disappointed that despite open seats in both the stands and on the grass berms during the game, I was still expected to stand on the small grass patches behind the top rows of seats in the student section for the entirety of the game. While I was eventually given a spot on the berm, the ticket distribution may also need a few minor tweaks. Fortunately, students can get their tickets for most weeks by swiping their Bear Cards at the UC Box Office to receive their own tickets. Ticket distribution is based on the number of available seats, so once they run out of stadium seats, you’ll have to make do with grass berm or standing room seats! Make sure to get your tickets early to get better seats!
Finally, it’s my pleasure to announce the incredible return of the Mercer Bears Football Team after their amazing last second victory over Reinhardt with a score of 40-37! It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for Mercer football, so make sure to attend the games and cheer on your Bears!
Sources:
Remaking Dixie: The Impact of World War II on the American South
Mercer 2013 Football Guide: Student Edition