BUBBA BARNETT INTERCOLLEGIATE CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to head coach Mike Hagen and our men’s golf team for winning their seventh consecutive Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate, our annual home tournament played at RidgePointe Country Club.  Devyn Pappas drained a birdie on the last hole to win individual medalist honors and clinch the team title for the Red Wolves.  We want to thank RidgePointe and all our great sponsors for helping making this another first-class event.  A tournament photo gallery is available by clicking here.

SCHMIDT TAKES INDIVIDUAL TITLE

Congratulations to Olivia Schmidt for taking individual medalist honors at our annual women’s golf tournament, the Lady Red Wolves Classic.  Schmidt posted a school-record 54-hole score of 204 and also tied our women’s golf program record for individual career championships, picking up her fourth while helping lead the team to a runner-up finish.  We appreciate Sage Meadows Country Club and the Sage Meadows LGA for their work helping make this a first-class event as well.  Check out the tournament photo gallery to view some of the action from the two-day event earlier this week.

NATIONALLY RANKED

We’re excited for the start of the 2022-23 season this week for our women’s bowling team, which was ranked sixth in the preseason National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) Poll.  Led by two-time NTCA Coach of the Year Justin Kostick, the Red Wolves are set to kickoff their season this weekend (Oct. 14-16) at Youngtown State’s Penguin Classic.  Keep up with the action by clicking here for live video coverage of the event.

EXTRA YARD FOR TEACHERS

Our Athletics Department is proud to partner with the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Sun Belt Conference to award grants to six area teachers in conjunction with the “Extra Yard for Teachers” initiative.  As part of the CFP Foundation, “Extra Yard for Teachers” is the largest sports entity specifically designed to support educators.  The funds from the six $1,000 awards will be used for classroom projects of the winning applicant’s choice.  Applications are being accepted now and must be completed by Oct. 24.  Winners will be notified that week and recognized during our home football game against South Alabama on Oct. 29.

SUN BELT BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS

With hoops season just around the corner, the Sun Belt Conference is set to hold its basketball media days next week in New Orleans.  The event – the first in-person media days for the league since the 2012-13 season – will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN+.  The Sun Belt’s 14 women’s basketball programs will participate on Tuesday, Oct. 18, with the conference’s 14 men’s basketball teams to appear on Wednesday, Oct. 19. 

Led by head coach Destinee Rogers, our women’s team will play their season opener at Louisiana Tech on Nov. 10.  Our men’s basketball team, led by head coach Mike Balado, will play an exhibition game against Voorhees College on Nov. 2 at First National Bank Arena before hosting Harding Nov. 7 in its season and home opener.

HOMECOMING REVISTED

Since our last State of the Pack edition, I had the opportunity to experience my first Arkansas State Homecoming.  It was great experiencing numerous Homecoming events, including A-State’s annual parade, bonfire, tailgating and more before our Red Wolves picked up a 45-28 victory over ULM.  Congrats to Homecoming Queen and King, Sydney Stauffer and Colten Sedman.

HALL OF HONOR BANQUET 

It was also fun to be part of our Lettermen’s Club Hall of Honor Banquet last Friday, when A-State greats Cleo Lemon, Corey Leonard, Marissa Martinek and Corey Williams were officially inducted into our Hall of Honor.  All four of these individuals gave outstanding induction speeches, and it was a pleasure hearing from them as they talked about their time at A-State while also spending time with their friends and families.  I was honored to meet them and proud to stand alongside them and A-State Chancellor Dr. Todd Shields during our on-field recognition the next day at our football game. Congrats to our inductees and we look forward to having them back on campus often. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Our football team is on the road the next two Saturdays at Southern Miss and Louisiana, but then returns home to face South Alabama in its third consecutive Sun Belt Conference West Division game.

We hope to have a great crowd at Centennial Bank Stadium to support the team and take part in our Ag Day on Oct. 29, with Greenway Equipment serving as our game sponsor.  As part of Ag Day, we are offering $10.00 tickets in the upper east stands.  This special ticket promotion is currently available by clicking here.

We are also extending our tailgate package promotion for the final three home football games of the season.  The tailgate package includes four tickets in the upper west stands, a tailgate plot in Halsey Thrasher Harpole Tailgate City and a parking pass for just $130.00.  This option is also available by clicking here.

Our Oct. 29 game will also have Halloween elements mixed in as part of the game-day experience.  We are still in the planning stages to incorporate some fun and interactive Halloween opportunities in Tailgate City, but costumes and decorations are encouraged!  Be on the lookout for details soon … and remember, we look forward to seeing everyone at our Red Wolf Walk at 3:45 p.m. prior to the game against South Alabama.

PARAGOULD VISIT!

Along with other members of our Athletics Department staff and our University Administration, I was excited for the opportunity to participate in the Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Business After Hours” meet-and-greet event last week.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and visiting with members of the Paragould community and Chamber of Commerce, which put on an entertaining event.  I also want to thank A-State grad Allison Hestand and the Chamber for their outstanding hospitality.  Our staff is committed to outreach, strengthening current relationships and cultivating new ones. We look forward to taking part in more events like this across the region and state.

DIG PINK

Helping promote breast cancer awareness, our volleyball team is set to hold Pink Day for its two home matches this Friday (6:00 p.m.) and Saturday (1:00 p.m.) against Troy.  The Red Wolves will wear pink uniforms both days and there will be a limited number of pink t-shirts distributed to those in attendance.  We want to encourage everyone to come out to First National Bank Arena this weekend to cheer on the team as they support breast cancer awareness.

STARTING STRONG

Our women’s soccer team is off to a strong start in Sun Belt Conference play, holding a 4-2 record to place them second in the West Division standings behind only Texas State (4-1-1).  The Red Wolves have a home game this Sunday at noon at the A-State Soccer Park against Georgia State, and we look forward to seeing you there as the team tries to claim its fifth victory over its last six outings.

ON THE COURTS

Under the direction of new head coach Scott Kidd, our women’s tennis team will see its first action of the fall this week.  The Red Wolves are set to compete in Stillwater, Okla., at the ITA Central Regional Championships, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13 through Monday, Oct. 17.  We are looking forward to Coach Kidd’s leadership as head coach!

BOOTS & BALLERS

Remember to mark your calendars for Oct. 20, when our men’s basketball program will host its annual “Boots and Ballers” event at First National Bank Arena.  There are limited tickets remaining for this great opportunity to meet the team, engage with fellow A-State fans and much more.

CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT

We are excited that Dr. David Kern has been named our new Faculty Athletics Representative.  A veteran professor and endowed chair holder, Dr. Kern will be a great fit in this role with his passion for education coupled with his interest in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.  The holder of the McAdams Frierson Chair of Bank Management, he is an associate professor of finance in the Neil Griffin College of Business at A-State with over two decades on the faculty.

GET YOUR WOLVES UP!

This week’s #WolvesUp photos features the Brooks family (Bray, Hawkins, Asa, Sage & Jordan) at Centennial Bank Stadium ahead of the Red Wolves’ Oct. 8 game, and Tori-Beth Poland (daughter of Meredith Townsend), with her Arkansas State University acceptance letter after also being awarded the A-State Chancellor’s Scholarship.

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.

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.

TICKETS

Season and single-game tickets for our fall and winter sports are available by visiting AStateRedWolves.com/Tickets or calling the A-State Ticket Office at 870-972-2781.  You can contact the Red Wolves Foundation at 870-972-2401 for additional information and/or to purchase tickets in our premium areas.