A View of Their Own

The first home game involved all different departments and divisions. Here are a few comments from staff and faculty who were instrumental to the grand opening:

Before each home game, the field is decorated with the Wolves logo and football measurements. Painting the field takes two days for the staff of two full timers and one part-time employee.

Sean Connors, grounds superintendent for athletic fields

Painting the field takes two days, 30 gallons of white paint, five gallons of blue paint and three gallons of red paint. It is an exact science. Football is a game of inches and we don’t want to throw the game off. Before opening day, we did a test run on another field so there wouldn’t be any surprises.

Mitch Gray, sports information director, from the sound box:

“My first perspective on opening night was being "a tenant no more." Also, the one thing that came through during those first two games is the pride in West Georgia having the best Division II facility in the country. And, I enjoyed showing off our new home to colleagues from both Lambuth and Ouachita Baptist, and beaming like a new father as they complimented our facility.”

Cale Self, associate band director
This is the second time I’ve opened a new stadium (the first being my first year as a high school band director in Texas and I must say that the excitement was just as tangible that first Saturday at University Stadium as I remembered it in 2002. It didn’t really strike me until I had a chance to look up into the stands just before halftime and saw them full of red and blue fans.
We are able to practice in University Stadium on game days prior to the team warm-ups. We were able to have a long stretch and breathing routine, and the vantage point that the upper seats offer is a true asset for any band director during rehearsal. So, by the time we took the field for halftime, we’d already had one performance and run through the entire show hours before. I look forward to our next game on October the 8th so that our fans can finally see our complete half-time show.

Matt Cooke, assistant sports information director, from the field:

“The volume of sound in the new stadium is quite an amazing change. During the first game, when Justin Mayo broke through the defense on his punt return that tied the game, the sound on the field level was as loud as I have ever heard at a West Georgia football games.”

Send your thoughts and comments to chronicl@westga.edu.