FOOTBALL GAME THEMES, PROMOS & GIVEAWAYS

Just 11 days away from our home and season opener against Central Arkansas on Aug. 31, football season is officially here!  Our athletics department has announced our full lineup of football game themes, promotions and giveaways, including some great items such as replica youth jerseys, Runnin’ Howl t-shirts and co-branded Red Wolves and Greenway caps.  We can’t wait to see our A-State fans back inside Centennial Bank Stadium, our students with their Wolves Up on our student deck that has been rebranded “Patio on the Pines” and Howl back on a Harley Davidson leading our team out onto Allison Field!  We’ll continue to add fan-engagement elements and opportunities throughout the season, but we encourage everyone to check out our current list of themes, promotions and giveaways.

TAILGATING AND RED WOLF WALK

We’re excited about Arkansas State football tailgating in 2024, and we believe Red Wolves fans will be too, with the variety of ways to participate and entertainment options continuing to expand. Specifically, an Alpha Pack event has been added for all six home games, complimenting Dustin White Realty Tailgate City at Mike Watson Park and free tailgating options surrounding Centennial Bank Stadium.  No matter where and how our fans to choose to tailgate, we want to encourage everyone to join us for Red Wolf Walk each home Saturday, when our team travels through the heart of Tailgate City with the A-State spirit squads on its way into the stadium two hours and 15 minutes before game time.  This is a great way to engage with our team and help set the tone for kickoff!  Fans can check out details about our different tailgating options and events by clicking HERE.

SEASON TICKETS, PROMOS, PARKING & THE A-STATE APP

We’ll kick off our 2024 football campaign with a pair of home games, including our season opener at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, against in-state foe Central Arkansas. Season tickets may be purchased by calling the Red Wolves Foundation at 870-972-2401, online by visiting AStateRedWolves.com/Tickets or via the A-State athletics App.

With our Athletics Department prioritizing mobile ticketing, an important feature of the A-State Athletics App is mobile-ticketing options that make it possible for fans to buy, manage and transfer tickets from the A-State Ticket Office.  All tickets, including premium areas, will be mobile in 2024.  Printed tickets will be available in advance at the A-State Ticket Office in First National Bank Arena or on game days at Centennial Bank Stadium’s main ticket windows.

Season parking passes will be physical once again this year, but mobile parking passes will also be available for the first time.  Mobile parking passes can be accessed in the same location as mobile tickets on the A-State App, and both can be added to Apple or Google wallet.  Parking passes can be transferred in the same manner as tickets as well.

Among season ticket options, a Family 4-Pack promotion exists that includes four tickets in the upper east stands for just $149.  Our Athletics Department also recently announced we have created a football season tickets referral program, providing special benefits to anyone responsible for referring someone else who purchases new season tickets.  Details, including benefits, about the referral program can be obtained by clicking HERE.

NINE PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT SELECTION TIES LEAGUE-HIGH

Including three first-team and six second-team selections, our Red Wolves have placed a league-high nine selections on the 2024 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team.  Our nine selections tied Appalachian State and Georgia Southern for the most in the league, and it was our most preseason all-conference picks since 2019.  We enter the season coming off our first bowl-game appearance since 2019 as well, and we’re excited about our returning players, as well as our newcomers who were part of our recruiting class that ranked first in the Sun Belt.  Including nine student-athletes named to 10 different major watch lists, we’ve had 17 players earn a combined 50 preseason honors this year.

LIVE WITH THE RED WOLVES

We hope you’ll be able to join us at Lost Pizza Co. on Southwest Drive next Wednesday, Aug. 28, for this year’s first “Live with the Red Wolves” radio show featuring head football coach Butch Jones and members of our team.  The one-hour radio program begins at 7:00 p.m., and it’s not only a great opportunity to get ready for game day, but also to visit with other fans while enjoying the great atmosphere and food at Lost Pizza.  With the exception of our two open weeks, the show will air live on KFIN 107.9 FM every Wednesday throughout football season.

SOLD-OUT KICKOFF PARTY

Thanks to the support of our fantastic fan base, our annual Football Kickoff Party was a huge success!  Selling out of tickets, head football coach Butch Jones and members of our football team were joined at Embassy Suites of Jonesboro by a near maximum-capacity crowd.  With over 500 tickets out and a record 61 tables sold (nearly tripling the previous year’s total of 22), the atmosphere and energy was electric as it turned into a great event to get everyone ready for the kickoff of our 2024 season.

A-STATE BLOCK PARTY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 6 AS PART OF PAINT THE TOWN RED WEEK

Details about the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 27th annual Paint the Town Red Week have been announced, including plans for its traditional A-State Block Party that will take place in downtown Jonesboro the evening before our home football game against Tulsa on Sept. 7.  The Block Party, sponsored by NEA Baptist, Gearhead Outfitters, Ramsons Construction and the Downtown Jonesboro Alliance (DJA) is scheduled to take place at 210 South Main Street from 5:30-8:30 p.m.  Additional information about Paint the Town Red Week and the A-State Block Party are available by clicking HERE.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN'S SPORTS

We’ll be spending this year celebrating the milestone 50th anniversary of women’s sports here at Arkansas State, providing special ticket offers, hosting various events and Alumni Nights for all women’s sports, announcing commemorative teams and much more.  We’ve designed a 50th anniversary logo, and as part of the celebration, fans can purchase a special combo season ticket that includes both volleyball and women’s basketball.  You can find information about that ticket package and additional details about our year-long celebration by clicking HERE.

STARTING STRONG

Our women’s soccer team got us off to a great start in 2024-25, winning their first two contests of the season. Our Red Wolves knocked off Little Rock, 2-0, last week in our home and season opener before coming back to defeat Southern Indiana by a 3-0 score this past Sunday. Through two exhibition and two regular-season matches, we’ve outscored our opponents 11-0.  We return to action this Sunday, Aug. 25, with a 1:00 p.m. outing against Murray State at the A-State soccer complex before hosting Central Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 29, to wrap up a four-match home stand to begin the regular season.  You can check out our full women’s soccer schedule by clicking HERE.

Congrats to Keeyln Peacock and Damaris Deschaine on being named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively.  We swept the weekly soccer honors for just the third time in school history.

VOLLEYBALL OPENS 2024 BY HOSTING THE A-STATE INVITATIONAL

Last year, our volleyball team made its first postseason appearance since 2018, and our Red Wolves are now set to begin the 2024 season by hosting the A-State Invitational Aug. 30-31 at First National Bank Arena (FNBA).  Prior to our home tournament, fans can get an early look at the team in action at our Scarlet & Black scrimmage at 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 24, at FNBA – admission is free.  We face Southeast Missouri in our season opener on the 30th at 1:00 p.m. and catch Ole Miss at 7:00 p.m. later that day.  Fans can attend our match against Saint Louis at 2:00 p.m. the next day on the 31st, then head over to Dustin White Realty Tailgate City to get ready for our 6:00 p.m. football game against Central Arkansas.  Our entire volleyball schedule includes 11 home contests and outings against five opponents that reached the postseason last year, including four NCAA Tournament squads.

CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE

Our men’s and women’s cross country teams compete in their first meet of the season on Saturday, Aug. 31, at the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic and have four additional competitions ahead of the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Nov. 1 at Foley, Ala. Our women’s team enters the season having won four of the last five Sun Belt titles, while our men’s squad finished league runner-up a year ago.  Fans can view our full cross country schedule by clicking HERE.

SUMMER OLYMPICS AND U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

We were proud to have Camryn Newton-Smith, a three-time All-American, representing A-State at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.  Our track and field program’s 11th all-time student-athlete to become an Olympian, the Australian finished 19th overall against the world’s best by totaling 5,982 points in the heptathlon.  Congrats to two-time All-American Bradley Jelmert on becoming one of 26 athletes to compete in the pole vault event at the U.S. Olympic Trials this past June.

HOOPS SCHEDULES, BOOTS AND BALLERS

Our full men’s basketball schedule and the Sun Belt Conference portion of our women’s schedule have been announced, and hoops season will be here soon.  Our men’s team will host 15 games inside First National Bank Arena, including the season opener against Akron on Nov. 4, and we have less than 180 lower-level sideline season tickets remaining.  Our women’s squad will begin league play Dec. 29, and be on the lookout for the full schedule coming soon.  You can get your season tickets for both teams by visiting AStateRedWolves.com/Tickets, and we’ve set the date for our 7th Annual Boots and Ballers event – October 17.  Additional details about the event will be announced soon.

GOLF & TENNIS SCHEDULES ALSO OUT

Men’s and women’s golf and women’s tennis have all announced their schedules for the 2024-25 seasons, and all three kick things off in September.  Our men’s golf team enters the season as the defending Sun Belt champs, while our women’s program made their first postseason appearance in school history a year ago.  Last year, our women’s tennis team posted its most wins since 2012, and head coach Sujay Lama is back for his second year leading the program after assembling the No. 19-ranked mid-major recruiting class in the nation.

2024 HALL OF HONOR CLASS

The A-State Lettermen’s Club will induct four new members into our Hall of Honor during its 44th annual banquet, set for Friday, Oct. 25, at the Woodard McAlister Club inside the Johnny Allison Tower of Centennial Bank Stadium.  Women’s pole vaulter Stephanie Foreman Adams, baseball’s Jacob Lee, football’s J.D. McKissic and volleyball’s Cyndi Rhone make up the newest class.  We’re extremely proud of these four A-State greats for achieving this well-deserved and prestigious recognition.

SUMMER COMMENCEMENT

Congrats to our most recent group of A-State grads, including our 12 student-athletes representing 12 of our intercollegiate sports who earned their degrees this summer. Representing baseball, football, women’s bowling, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s indoor track & field and men’s and women’s cross country, all 12 have appeared on either the A-State Athletics Director’s Honor Roll, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List, Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll or a combination of the three.

CAROLINE WOODS, RED WOLVES SPORTS PROPERTIES

We’re thrilled to welcome Caroline Woods as the new General Manager of our locally-based Learfield team, Red Wolves Sports Properties.  A native of Wynne, and the daughter of A-State alumni Andy and Leslie Boone, she arrives with deep ties to both the Northeast Arkansas community and Arkansas State University.  She has excelled in her previous positions with Learfield and is well-respected within college athletics and the multimedia rights industry.  Her experience as a successful student-athlete will also be a great benefit.

CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT

Two days ahead of our football home and season opener against Central Arkansas, the annual Order of the Pack pep rally will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, inside Centennial Bank Stadium.  The event, organized by the Student Activities Board (SAB) and our Athletics Department, is always a fun way to welcome new and returning students with cheers, chants and traditions on game days. We’ll introduce all of our teams, and although the event is held for our students and student-athletes as part of Wolves Up Week, fans are welcome to attend.

GET YOUR WOLVES UP!

This week’s #WolvesUp photos feature four A-State alumni in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics, including former men’s golf letterman Matt Hubbard. Cheering on Team USA against Germany in the women’s soccer semifinals are Scott Richards and Nonie and Wayne Wiggins.

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.