The Students’ Association is promoting a white out for this year’s Homecoming football game. For $5, students can purchase “Live Purple” T-shirts in the Campus Center throughout the week leading up to the game.
Freshman Bryan Maier, math teaching major from St. Louis, Missouri, presented the idea to SA Congress a week prior to homecoming. Maier says, “I’m a part of the Tradition’s Committee and we’re trying to explore and create new traditions at ACU. This seemed like a tradition that could be easily and successfully started.”
Dylan Benac, senior political science major from Boerne and senior president, said that as a student congress, they recognized a student need for cheaper school-spirit-inducing items on campus.
“Not every student can afford high quality stuff at the campus store,” Benac said. “If we care about our brand, we need to get students cheap but good merchandise.”
With the move into Div. I, SA wants to help cultivate a more unified sense of school spirit. Both Maier and Benac believe this is one step closer to accomplishing that goal.
“When you walk around other college campuses, they have maroon or black or burnt orange or yellow shirts,” Benac said. “We recognize that this is part of being a bigger university culture. We have to get really cool shirts out to students for really cheap and just get it into their hands and allow them to wear it.”
SA is not partnering with any outside organizations for the shirts. The idea came about too quickly for any organization to consider sponsoring the initiative, Benac said, but he hopes sponsors will come in the future for an even more affordable option.
The entirety of the the white-out initiative came from the congressional budget.
“SA isn’t in it to make money. With a profit of 60 cents per shirt, all money we make will go right back into ordering more shirts,” says Benac.
Benac says the shirt provides a perfect, yet affordable option for future sporting event apparel.
“This is our last opportunity to see the team play at home, and it’ll mean a lot to the alumni to see a student body that is extremely supportive of their alma mater,” Maier said.
Even if students and alumni don’t have a chance to purchase the shirts, SA encourages anyone attending the game to wear white and support the Wildcats for this year’s homecoming.
