Students attending Saturday’s football game will discover a different team sitting in front of the team. Ball State’s football team, rather than the visiting team, will occupy the east side of the stadium.
Due to a regulation passed by the schools of the Mid-American Conference, the visiting team’s bench must be a certain distance from the student section, MAC Commissioner for media relations Gary Richter said. Rather than moving the student section, Ball State opted instead to move its own bench to the opposite side of the stadium.
The move was part of a move by the MAC to pass new sportsmanship rules.
Football coach Brady Hoke was not ready to praise the decision.
“Until we play it, I’m not sure,” he said. “We’ve scrimmaged and used that side. I don’t know if its a great rule. I think sportsmanship is important and all that, but to change sides and all that, I don’t know. We’ll find out. It’ll be a little different.”
The game will also feature a number of gameday promotions including free T-shirts, hats and magnets from supporters of Ball State athletics.
GMAC will also be on campus as part of a tour around MAC campuses. They will be on the Cardinal Green and Frog Baby today and tomorrow giving out free gifts, Director of GameDay Experience and Electronic Media Chris Taylor said.
The promotion will also feature an event at the halftime of the game which will give one student $1,000. Five randomly selected students will try to dress in a complete football uniform putting each piece on in a specific order. The first person to complete the challenge correctly will win a $1,000 scholarship and a chance to win a Saturn. Winners from each of the 12 MAC schools will be selected.
Saturday’s game will also be a fireworks night. Following the game the Cardinal Varsity Club will present a fireworks show.
“You see it throughout sports,” Taylor said. “It’s basically a result of the promotion that followed the first night game.”
Taylor said the previous fireworks show had been one of their best received promotions.
“Everyone’s really excited about it,” he said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
