PRE GAME PRIMER FOR EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL

August 31, 2016-To say Thursday's season opener between #24 Emporia State and top ranked Northwest Missouri is the most anticipated regular season game in Hornet football history, might be an understatement. Kick off is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 1 on Jones Field at Welch Stadium on the Emporia State campus.
 
A FEW OF THE FACTS
•For the first time in the 79-year history of Welch Stadium, two nationally ranked teams will square off in the first game of the season.
•It is a rematch of last year's NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Championship game and the third time in the last six games the two nationally ranked teams have met. 
•There have been five All-MIAA regional finals and this is the first time the two teams have met to open the season.
•This will be the first game on the newly installed Jones Field at Welch Stadium and the turf will be rededicated prior to the game.
•An Olympic Gold Medalist, Earl Young who as a part of the United States' 1960 4x400m relay team, will be on hand to help register people as bone marrow transplant donors.
•A total of 17 area businesses have agreed to take part in the Stinger Shutdown on Thursday, closing their doors early so their employees can make it to the game.
• A record number of people have already purchased their Watering Hole passes.
•Advanced ticket sales have already surpassed last season's home opener and do not include student tickets.  As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday less than 360 reserved tickets remained for the game.
 
 
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PREGAME:
•With the game being on Thursday night, classes will be in session during the day with some going on in the evening. Welch Stadium is located in the heart of campus and parking may be limited in the area directly around the stadium.  Fans should be prepared for the lots closest to the stadium to fill up early. 
•Fans can begin to set up in designated tailgating lots at 3 p.m. Due to traffic concerns, there is no tailgating allowed on Morse Road directly in front of the stadium.
•The Teachers College and School of Business at Emporia State will both be hosting pregame parties on Thursday evening.  The Party on the Patio will be hosted by the Teachers College and will be held from 4-6 p.m. on the patio at Visser Hall.  The School of Business Cookout will take place in front of Cremer Hall and will run from 5-6 p.m.
•The Watering Hole will open up at 5 p.m. on the Milton Tennis Courts and will be catered by Coaches Bar & Grill during the first game.
•The E-Zone Student Tailgate will take place on the lawn near the Watering Hole with free food, drinks and music for Emporia State students starting at 5 p.m. as well.
 
GETTING IN THE STADIUM
•Tickets sales are at a record pace for the home opener.  Fans are advised to contact the Emporia State Ticket Office at 877-341-NEST (6378) or stop the ticket office in the Memorial Union before the 5 p.m. on Thursday.  General Admission tickets can also be purchased at Reeble's Country Mart up until game time.
•Ticket sales at Welch Stadium will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the gates to the stadium set to open at 6:00 p.m.
•For the second year NPB Companies will assist with security at Welch Stadium during home football games.  The nationally recognized firm will help provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere at Hornet games.  As part of this process, NPB staff will be at entrance gates to assist fans with what they can and cannot bring into the stadium.  No outside food or drinks other than water in clear containers may be brought into the stadium.  Random bags may be subject to search as fans enter the stadium.
•Pregame festivities begin in the stadium 20 minutes before kickoff with the Marching Hornets pregame show and will include the rededication of Jones Field at Welch Stadium with around 11 minutes on the clock.
•The first 3,000 Hornet fans to enter the stadium will receive a Go Hornets! scroll banner courtesy of Thursday's game sponsor Newman Regional Health.
•With the increased ticket sales, fans are encouraged to start making their way into the stadium by 6:30 p.m. to make sure and catch the kickoff.
 
ONCE IN THE STADIUM
Getting Seated
•Section D at the south end of the east stands is the designated visitor section of Welch Stadium.
•Section B is the designated Emporia State student section with over flow into Section C. 
•The Marching Hornets take up the majority of Section A in the east stands.
•Reserved seating is available in the gold seats on the west side of Welch Stadium.
•The remainder of the stadium is general admission.
Concession Info
•There are four active concession stands in Welch Stadium with two on the upper west concourse and two located beneath the east stands.  They serve Coca Cola products and have a variety of food items.
•Fans will receive a free commemorative cup celebrating the rededication of Jones Field with a $5 purchase from the concession stands.
Restrooms
•Restrooms are located at the north end of the concourse on the west side of Welch Stadium and underneath the stands on the east side.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
•The Best Seats in the House are courtesy of Guion's Showcase, Kiss 103.1 and the new ESPN 99.5 and are selected from fans that have texted seats to 68255 during the week.
•The Granada Sweet Seat winner receives free tickets to the game and a chocolate prize pack courtesy of the Sweet Granada for sharing #GranadaSweetSeat posts from the Emporia State social media accounts.
•The Emporia State Battle of the Businesses winner goes to a local business that has submitted a picture of their employees in Hornet gear to our social media accounts with the hashtag #ESUBattleoftheBusiness in their post.  The winning business will receive game tickets, t-shirts and apparel courtesy of Navrat's.
 
IN GAME
•Whenever the Hornets score a touchdown, the Papa John's T-Shirt Cannon will shoot out Touchdown T's sponsored by Thompson Family Dental and Valunet Fiber.
•The Kansas Lottery will provide a prize package to a lucky fan in the first quarter while Papa John's will supply a large pizza to the Fan and Family of the Game in the fourth quarter.
•Fans will get a chance to be on the Shogren Videoboard throughout the game in random crowd shots as well as the KISS 103.1 Kiss-Cam and the Thompson Family Dental Smile-Cam. 
 
WEATHER CENTER
The weather forecast for Thursday night is near perfect football weather.  According to The Weather Channel it should be 78 degrees and sunny when the tailgate lots open to the public at 3 p.m. and 74 degrees and clear at kick-off.  It should be around 65 degrees and clear for the trip home at approximately 10 p.m. 
 
CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
If for some reason you can't make it to Welch Stadium the game will be available on radio Mix 104.9 KFFX-FM with KAB Award winner Greg Rahe making the call.  He will be joined by Ron Thomas on the sideline and former Hornet offensive lineman Kenneth Sellers in the booth.  The game will be video streamed through Emporia State's stretch internet portal at portal.stretchinternet.com/esu with both single game and season long options for purchase.  Live stats will be available through Emporia State's website at esuhornets.com with updates being posted to the Hornets Twitter account at @ESUSports.