SEEKING BOWL ELIGIBILITY

Our football team has the opportunity to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 when we face Texas State tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.  We need everyone at Centennial Bank Stadium, and we hope you can join us to help provide a great home-field advantage!

It’s Senior Day, Heroes Day and Fan Appreciation Day, and we have a lot of great ticket promotions, activities and a Demario Davis bobblehead giveaway surrounding the game.  You can check out all the details and ticket options by clicking HERE or visiting AStateRedWolves.com, but here’s a quick rundown:

SENIOR DAY

• A-State will honor its senior class on the field at approximately 1:35 p.m.

HEROES DAY

• Donated tickets provided to all military members and veterans:  visit VetTix.org
• Donated tickets provided to first responders:  visit 1stTix.org
• Halftime recognition of the 2023 inductees entering A-State ROTC’s Hall of Heroes.
• Contracting Oath administered in a timeout with cadets who have signed Senior ROTC Contracts. 

FAN APPRECIATION DAY

• Demario Davis bobblehead giveaway.
• “Four-Pack” ticket option (4 tickets in lower or upper east stands and a parking pass for just $40).
• Basketball/Football game combo ticket promotion.
• Alpha Pack VIP experience begins at 11:00 a.m. with a tailgate at the ASU Pavilion.

TAILGATE CITY

• Red Wolf Walk starting at 11:45 a.m.
• Visit with and get autographs from our men’s basketball team 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Hijinx Kids Zone, Games and Food Trucks/Vendors

We also announced on our Athletics social media accounts that we are running a lower-level-chairback flash sale with $45 seats until 5:00 p.m. today.

We will honor our senior class on the field prior to kickoff as part of our Senior Day activities, but we also encourage you to gather at Halsey Thrasher Harpole Tailgate City at Mike Watson Park to help us celebrate our seniors at their final Red Wolf Walk as the team makes its way into the stadium at 11:45 a.m.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, fans can visit our online Game Day Guide, which includes a game-day timeline, flipcard and stadium map to go along with comprehensive information about Mobile ticketing, the stadium’s clear-bag policy, Red Wolf Walk, Tailgate City, free tailgating, gate information, parking, student entry and the Team Shop.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTING ARKANSAS TONIGHT AT 7 PM

Coming off a 75-62 victory over Northern Illinois in our home opener, our women’s basketball squad is set to host Arkansas tonight at 7:00 p.m. in an exciting early-season game.  We hope you can make it to First National Bank Arena to help cheer on our Red Wolves as we expect a fun atmosphere for the in-state matchup.  If you already have or plan to purchase a ticket for the game tonight, remember you can show it to the ticket office tomorrow at Centennial Bank Stadium to be issued a ticket for our 2:00 p.m. football game at no charge. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Our entire Red Wolves Family would like to wish everyone and their families a happy Thanksgiving!  We are grateful for the tremendous support provided by our fans, alumni and community, so thank you for everything you do for A-State Athletics and our student-athletes.  We look forward to seeing you at our football game and women’s basketball games ahead of Thanksgiving Day, and we hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving holidays.

FIRST CAREER VICTORY AS A HEAD COACH

Congrats to Bryan Hodgson on his first career victory as a head coach after leading our men’s basketball team to a 100-86 victory over Alcorn State last Tuesday in our home opener. Behind the strength of 19 three-pointers made, our most ever versus a Division I opponent, our Red Wolves scored a season-high 100 points against an Alcorn State team that won the last two regular-season SWAC titles.  We begin a three-game road swing tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Iowa before returning to First National Bank Arena Nov. 28 to face Jackson State at 7:30 p.m.

CROSS COUNTRY ACCOLADES

Following our women’s Sun Belt Conference championship, head cross country coach Jesse Duvall was named the league’s Coach of the Year and Rahel Broemmel was tabbed Freshman of the Year.  Our men’s squad finished runner-up at the conference championships, and we had 16 members of our men’s and women’s teams combined earn All-Sun Belt Conference recognition.  Congrats to Coach Duvall and all our cross country runners on these well-deserved honors.

Rahel continued her dynamic debut cross country season by automatically qualifying as an individual for the NCAA Championships with a top-five finish Nov. 10 at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships.  It was the highest regional finish by one of our women’s runners in program history. Good luck to Rahel at the NCAA Championships tomorrow in Charlottesville, Va.

TOP-RANKED SBC TEAM

Listed 79th among 306 Division I programs, our men’s golf team was the top-ranked Sun Belt Conference member in the first release of Spikemark’s national rankings for the 2023-24 season. We wrapped up the fall portion of our schedule last month with a 283.27 scoring average that is on pace to break the program record of 285.91 set in 2018-19.  Holding a 50-23-1 head-to-head record and three top-four finishes, we begin the spring schedule Feb. 26-28 at the Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate at Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.

VOLLEYBALL ENDS SEASON WITH 16 VICTORIES, ADVANCES TO SBC TOURNEY’S SECOND ROUND

Our volleyball team closed out its 2023 season by winning four of the last six matches, including a first-round victory over Georgia State in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.  We finished with a 16-14 overall record, marking a seven-game improvement in the win column over last year.  Following a pair of victories over Marshall to end the regular season, freshman outside hitter Kaitlin Whitlock was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

BOWLING HEADS INTO BREAK RANKED SECOND IN THE NATION

Ranked second in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Top-25 poll, our women’s bowling team closed out its fall schedule last weekend at the Ladyjack Classic with a fifth-place finish among 16 teams.  We’ll take a 29-10 record and 15-10 mark against ranked opponents into the break before resuming play at the Northeast Classic Jan. 19-21 in Deptford, N.J.

CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT

As part of our annual Heroes Day game tomorrow at our home football game against Texas State, we will be honoring military personnel, veterans, first responders, healthcare workers and many others for their service to our communities and country.  The Department of Military Science will induct three new members into the ROTC Hall of Heroes at the 27th annual ceremony tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the Reng Student Union.  During halftime of our game, we’re proud to be featuring a recognition of these individuals as well.

GET YOUR WOLVES UP!

This week’s #WolvesUp photos feature Leanne Lovell with the Wynne Relief and Recovery at our men’s basketball game against Alcorn State, as well as a group of our A-State students with members of our football team at the Student Union this past Wednesday.

Remember to use the hashtag #WolvesUp in your social posts and tweet your photos to me @JeffPurinton if you have any pictures with your Wolves Up! or promoting A-State.  We will select photos to feature in each edition of State of the Pack.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

View the list of scheduled events, broadcast information, start time and stat links on our composite calendar.  (Note:  All times are listed in Central Time.)  Access live stats from your desktop or mobile device by visiting AStateStats.com.