EMPORIA STATE FOOTBALL GAME DAY PRIMER

• Emporia State begins its 124th season of football against Northeastern State. The Hornets are 70-48-5 all-time in season openers. 

• Coach Garin Higgins is 11-3 in season openers with the Hornets and 16-3 in his career in season openers. Emporia State has gone 21-9 in MIAA openers since joining the conference in 1991.

• Emporia State has nine returners who earned at least third-team All-MIAA honors last year – the most of any school in the conference.

•Emporia State opened last season with a 38-7 victory at Northeastern State after leading 28-0 at the half. 

• Hornet Walk takes place three hours before kickoff and begins the Hornet Football Game Day experience.  Join the Hornets, ESU Cheer, and the Marching Hornets as they leave the team meal in the Memorial Union, walk down the pedestrian mall to Morse Drive and then into Welch Stadium.

• The all-new Live at the Hive and Live at the Hive: VIP Experience, presented by Busch Light will be located in the Visser Hall parking lot and open two and a half hours before kickoff. Live at the Hive will feature live music by the Box Turtles, food from JD’s Pizza, cash bar, tailgate games, appearances by ESU Cheer, the Marching Hornets, Alumni, ESU Coaches and, of course, Corky. Gourmet to Go is catering the VIP Experience.

• To use the tailgating space as effectively as possible while creating a safe pedestrian experience, the parking area on Morse Drive between 15th and 18th avenues will be closed to public traffic on football game days.

• Only ESU Students tailgating in front of Kossover Family Tennis Complex and those fans with football game day parking passes will be allowed in the Morse Drive lot.  ESU students must show their valid student ID to park in the student tailgating area, and must enter from 18th Avenue by Kossover Family Tennis Complex. For the general public a limited number of parking passes for the permitted parking area on the west side of Welch Stadium are available for purchase online.  The cost is $30 for individual games or $120 for the full season.  Deadline to purchase is 24 hours before each game.  Passes must be pre-purchased. 

• Non-permitted parking for fans is available in the lot on the west side of campus along Merchant Street by Cramer Hall and the parking lot on the north end of campus by the Student Recreation Center.

• Visitor parking and tailgating is allowed in the lot northeast of Welch Stadium north of Wilson Park.

Tailgating Info

Live at the Hive

ESU Student Info

•Emporia State is transitioning away from in-person ticket sales. Fans are advised to get their tickets early by going to esuhornets.com > tickets to avoid waiting in lines at the ticket window.
•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.

• All fans will need to get a ticket (either electronic or printed out) scanned in order to enter Welch Stadium.  

• Silverson Security will assist with security at Welch Stadium during home football games.  The local firm will help provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere at Hornet games.  As part of this process, Silverson 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. 

•Prior to the national anthem there will be a special moment of silence in memory of former Hornet Brexten Green who passed away this summer.

Ticket Info

ESU Student Ticket Info

•Reserved seating is available in the gold seats on the west side of Welch Stadium.
•Section B and C on the east side of Welch Stadium are the designated Emporia State student sections. 
•Section A on the east side of Welch Stadium are the designated visiting sections. 
•The remainder of the stadium is general admission.
•The Marching Hornets are stationed in the bleachers along the south end zone.
•Sideline access is restricted to media and team personnel only. There is a special end zone access pass that is available to select individuals.

ESU Student 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.
•For the second year beer sales will be available inside Welch Stadium. Alcoholic beverages from the Budweiser family of products supplied by Flint Hills Beverage will be sold to those 21 or older. There will be security in the area of this concession stand to help enforce the legal drinking age. 

•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.

• Fans are asked to remain in the stands at the conclusion of the game until the opposing team has left the field to help ensure the health and safety of the players.

• New this year the ESU Marching Hornets will perform the Emporia State alma mater after every game and fans are encouraged to sing along with the words on the Shogren Family Videoboard.

• The weather forecast for Thursday night is for a warm and dry night of football.  The forecast calls for a day time high temperature of 93 degrees, dropping to an overnight low of 66 with winds out of the south-southeast from 5-10 mph and a 14% chance of rain.

• 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 fellow ESU Athletics Hall of Honor member, former Madison HS coach and Hornet linebacker Fred McClain in the booth and Tagan Trahoon on the sideline.  

• The game will be video streamed through The MIAA Network 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.