HOME FOOTBALL GAME TOMORROW

Coming off a 34-24 road victory at ULM, we’re excited to have our football team back at Centennial Bank Stadium this week for the first of our final two regular-season home games. Tied with Louisiana and Texas State for second place in the Sun Belt’s West Division and needing two more victories to gain bowl eligibility, we need a great crowd Saturday to help cheer on our Red Wolves when we face the Ragin’ Cajuns at 2:00 p.m.!

As always, we want to encourage all A-State fans to join us in Halsey Thrasher Harpole Tailgate City at Mike Watson Park at 11:45 a.m. to welcome our team on game day as they make their way to the stadium during Red Wolf Walk.  There are plenty of activities for fans to enjoy in Tailgate City as well, including food trucks, games and the Hijinx Kids Zone.  More information about tailgating at our football games can be obtained by clicking here.

We want to thank all our “Ag Day” game sponsors, and we’re excited to have Dr. Mickey Latour, our Dean of the College of Agriculture, and Dr. Bert Greenwalt, Professor of Agricultural Economics here at A-State, serving as our honorary team captains during the coin toss.

As part of our season-long celebration of our 50th season inside Centennial Bank Stadium, we are offering a special theme ticket for Saturday’s game that includes a limited-edition replica of our home stadium.  If you don’t have a ticket to the game, get a theme ticket that includes the replica by visiting fevo.me/replica.  If you already have tickets to the game, the replica is available while supplies last by visiting fevo.me/replicaonly.  The stadium replicas can be picked up at the game on the west concourse.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, we want to remind fans to check out our Game Day Guide, which includes a game-day timeline, flipcard and stadium map to go along with comprehensive information about mobile ticketing, the stadium’s clear-bag policy, Red Wolf Walk, Tailgate City, gate information, parking, student entry and the Team Shop.

With the 37th Annual Lit’l Bita Christmas also being held Saturday at First National Bank Arena, we’re asking fans to be aware of changes to the Red Lot parking on game day.  We will reserve the Tomlinson Stadium baseball lot, along with Lot B and the bottom half of Lot C at the arena, for Red Wolves Foundations donors with Red Lot parking.  We look forward to seeing everyone Saturday, and thank you for understanding.

Congrats to a pair of Red Wolves who have received national accolades this week.  Linebacker Javante Mackey was tabbed one of 14 semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.  Fellow linebacker Charles Willekes was announced as a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field.

SUN BELT CHAMPS

Congratulations to Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jim Patchell, Head Cross Country Coach Jesse Duvall and our entire women’s cross country team on claiming the Sun Belt Conference title last Saturday.  A dominant showing, which included four runners placing among the top-15 finishers, propelled our women’s squad to a fourth league championship over the last five seasons.  Our men’s team also had a solid outing at the Sun Belt meet, finishing runner-up after claiming the conference crown the previous two years.  Both our men’s and women’s teams return to action Friday, Nov. 10, competing in the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

PATCHELL RECEIVES CONTRACT EXTENSION

We were excited to announce yesterday that Dr. Jim Patchell, our Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, has received a five-year contract extension.  He is a 20-time Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and the winningest track & field coach in school history.  During his time leading our program, we have won a school-record 27 conference titles between men’s and women’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field.  We look forward to having our track & field and cross country programs continue to operate under his invaluable leadership.

CHARITY EXHIBITION GAME RAISES FUNDS FOR WYNNE RECOVERY

We had a great crowd for our men’s basketball charity exhibition game against the University of Central Arkansas on Monday.  We want to thank everyone who was able to come out and support our team and a great cause, raising over $7,000 in funds through ticket sales that was donated to the Wynne Relief and Recovery Center.  All tickets were sold as $5 general-admission seating with those proceeds entirely benefitting the tornado-recovery efforts in Wynne.  Those wishing to make an additional donation to Wynne Recovery may do so by visiting WynneRecovery.org.  We claimed a 112-77 victory over UCA and are now set to open the regular-season Monday with a 7:00 p.m. road game against a Wisconsin team receiving votes in both the Associated Press and Coaches Top 25 preseason polls.  You can check out our full men’s basketball schedule on AStateRedWolves.com, and season tickets are available by clicking here.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SET FOR SEASON OPENER

We’re excited about the start of our women’s basketball season next week. Although we start on the road Monday at South Dakota State, we play our home opener just three days later on Nov. 9. As part of our “Education Day,” we’re excited to have kindergarten through sixth grade students from the region with us at First National Bank Arena for the 11:00 a.m. tipoff.  We have 17 home games slated for the 2023-24 season and look forward to seeing everyone at the games to cheer on our Red Wolves!  Season tickets are available by clicking here.

MEN'S GOLF WRAPS UP FALL SCHEDULE

Our men’s golf team wrapped up its fall schedule this past Tuesday at the Daniel Island Intercollegiate and currently holds a 283.27 scoring average that is on pace to break the program record of 285.91 set in 2018-19.  Holding a 50-23-1 head-to-head record and three top-four finishes, we begin the spring schedule Feb. 26-28 at the Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate at Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.

WOMEN'S GOLF CLOSES OUT FALL SCHEDULE AT DIAMANTE INTERCOLLEGIATE

Posting the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history, our women’s golf team finished fifth among 17 teams at the Diamante Intercollegiate that concluded Oct. 24 in Hot Springs.  We completed the fall portion of our schedule with a stroke average of 294.47, nearly two strokes better than the program record for an entire season.  Our Red Wolves begin the spring slate Feb. 12-13 at The Atlantic Invitational in Lake Worth, Fla.

WORLD LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to former A-State women’s golfer Monica Lieving (2017-20) on winning the 2023 Women’s Division World Long Drive championship earlier this month!

VOLLEYBALL CONTINUES SBC PLAY AHEAD OF SENIOR DAY

Set to play a pair of road matches at ULM this weekend, our volleyball team will play its final two home matches Nov. 10-11 at First National Bank Arena.  We will host Marshall, and we look forward to honoring Ilayda Dincer, Brianna Hollingshed and Tegan Seyring on Senior Day Nov. 11.  We want to thank all three of these student-athletes for their contributions to our volleyball program, Athletics Department and University.

BOWLING COMPLETES PLAY AT DESTINATION ORLANDO

Ranked second in the nation, our women’s bowling team continued competition last weekend by posting an 11-2 record at the Destination Orlando event.  Including our championship performance at the Penguin Classic, our Red Wolves now own a 21-5 record and will close out the fall portion of the schedule next weekend, Nov. 10-12, at the Ladyjack Classic hosted by Stephen F. Austin in Kenosha, Wis.

WOMEN'S TENNIS SET TO CONCLUDE FALL SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND

Our women’s tennis team most recently played at the weather-shortened UCA Invitational, winning three matches – all against host UCA – before rain canceled play. With an altered match schedule Red Wolves picked up two doubles victories and a single win on the tournament’s opening day.  We close out the fall schedule today and tomorrow at the Ragin’ Cajun Invite.

LIT'L BITA CHRISTMAS

The Red Wolves Foundation is set to host the 37th Annual Lit’l Bita Christmas Arts and Crafts show this weekend, Nov. 3-5, at First National Bank Arena.  Lit’l Bita Christmas has become one of the premier events in all of Northeast Arkansas and has grown into one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the entire Midsouth Region.  This weekend presents a great opportunity to come support our football team Saturday at Centennial Bank Stadium while also taking advantage of everything Lit’l Bita Christmas has to offer.

CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT

Congrats to Camryn Ross of North Little Rock, crowned Miss Arkansas State University 2024 in the 49th edition of the scholarship competition that was held yesterday evening in the Riceland Hall at Fowler Center on the A-State campus.  The pageant was presented by Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

GET YOUR WOLVES UP!

This week’s #WolvesUp photos features newly-crowned Miss Arkansas State University Camyrn Ross with A-State alumna and Miss Arkansas Cori Keller with their Wolves Up!

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.