Wildcat football will make its season debut tomorrow evening, donning their new Div. I standing, new uniforms and hopefully, a different student body of supporters.
Cheerleaders are having to work overtime for a school spirit overhaul, trying to raise a brio barometer currently at a dwarfan degree.
Before the semester started, the Big Purple Marching Band began refining their music and marching skills to breathe notes of excitement to a purple-clad audience.
With ACU’s promotion to the Div. I level, students are running out of excuses to not show their support.
While football often takes the limelight, ACU athletics has a vast collection of crowns from across the sports spectrum.
Each athlete works exceptionally hard to perform his or her best on and off the field. The training never ceases. Who wouldn’t want to say they witnessed them make history?
167 Lone Star Conference Championships and 56 NCAA Regional Titles are trophies to call our own.
But still, rallies of pep have slowed their pace, school songs are sung a little softer and game crowds become thin as the season progresses.
But it’s not a lack of love for sports.
Intramural sports at ACU remains the highlight of athletic events on campus, with crammed crowds and rivalries that easily overshadow those held by our official sports teams.
And there’s nothing wrong with a passion for intramural play.
But for the coaches and athletes entering this new arena, some recognition is in order.
The step up to Div. I has ACU set to face a higher competition caliber, as well as recruitment of a higher academic caliber of student-athletes.
By that measure, if the ACU athletic standard has been raised, the student body should rise to the challenge to meet them.
This year, ACU brought in twice the number of freshmen athletes, a class size that has the potential to be literal game-changers.
The key is keeping a steady support to prevent a pep plummet as the year progresses.
Paint your face, attend a tailgate and turn around the lackluster spirit. It’s a matter of pride.
To combat the excuse of forgetting, here’s a reminder: Wildcats kick off at Shotwell Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m.
Students, inflate those thunder sticks, sport some purple and go ‘Cats, go.
