It’s the final week. Leave it all out on the field. Tired and sore mean nothing. Heart and soul mean everything. Now, let’s go out there and play some football!
Game 1 – Boise State vs. Bemidji State
Bemidji State University is a public school of 6,400 students located on the shores of Lake Bemidji in Minnesota. Think they have civic pride in Bemidji, Minnesota? In 1998, the school’s board of trustees recommended changing their name to Minnesota State University-Bemidji. Well, students, alumni, and the good people of Bemidji said no! Unfortunately, fellow state school Mankato State did not survive the attack.
Their mascot is the Beaver. All the sports teams compete in Division II, except their ice hockey teams, which compete in Division I. It’s Minnesota, folks.
Game 2 – Alfred vs. Texas
Sitting comfortably in western New York (state) you’ll find Alfred University and its 2,300 students. Alfred has a great and extensive history in ceramics. By ceramics, I mean ceramic art. Ceramic engineering. High-tech ceramics. World-class ceramics. Call them pot makers and they’ll probably put you in one.
Their sports teams are the Saxons — Alfred the Great was king of the Saxons. This may or may not be the origin of the town name Alfred, but uncertainty aside, the university has adopted King Alfred as its official personage. There’s even a statue on campus to prove it. I’m sure Alfred the Great would be delighted to know his royal legacy lives on forever in western New York.
Game 3 – Ithaca vs. Stanford
Going to the Finger Lakes region? Own a heavy winter coat? Then you’re ready to visit Ithaca College! Overlooking Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, NY, there’s a beautiful school with a picturesque view that has its own student-run television channel! ICTV, founded in 1958, is broadcast to 26,000 households. The entire schedule is student programming. It’s professional quality. It wins awards. When there’s no student programming, they broadcast a live view of Cayuga Lake. It’s a total A+!
Ithaca’s teams are the Bombers. The name has no historical significance, but it sounds great. Sometimes that’s enough in the sports world. Enough for Bombers Live, baby!
Game 4 – UNLV vs. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (pronounced Oh-Claire) is a school of 10,800 students situated on the Chippewa River in western Wisconsin. Naturally, when you think of western Wisconsin, you think of jazz. Well, jazz is alive and thriving at Eau Claire! Their jazz ensemble has been nominated for a Grammy award – twice. Eau yes!
Their marching band, the Blugold Marching Band, is one of the largest in the country and has now topped 400 musicians. Eau my!
They have a Viennese Ball. Eau Lord!
Eau-K, let me catch my breath. Right, we move on.
Now, I feel I need to dedicate more than the usual space for this convoluted mascot situation going on at Eau Claire.
The athletes are currently called Blugolds. Before Blugolds, the previous names of athletes were — hang with me now — the Normals, Normalites, Blue and Gold Warriors, Blue and Gold Gridirons, the Zornmen, Golden Zornadoes, Blue and Gold Squad, and the Blugold Squad. (Note, the Zornmen was named after their 40-year basketball and football coach, Bill Zorn)
We’re not done yet. The university has no official mascot. But, in 2011, the student body voted to have a mythical bird as their mascot, named Blu the Blugold. This is a student-body mascot, and not a university mascot. I didn’t even get to the curious (mis)spelling of blue until just now! What the hell is going on in western Wisconsin? Eau Jesus Christ Almighty!
Personally, I think they should’ve just stuck with Golden Zornadoes and called it a day.
Let the games begin!
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