Festivities abound before the “Halloween at Apogee” football game
Jeremy Eackles / Intern Writer
Scheduled with a rare Thursday night game, the Mean Green football team plays Rice University at 6:30 p.m. in front of a nationally televised audience, giving the fans the chance to celebrate the holiday with “Halloween at Apogee.”
Jamie Adams, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions, said the night is about garnering exposure and making an impression on the viewing audience of a game broadcast on Fox Sports 1.
“‘Halloween at Apogee’ will be a chance for America to see how incredible Denton and the University of North Texas are,” Adams said.
Before the game, Apogee Stadium will host festivities for families with kids of all ages. Adams said there will be a ring toss, a photo area where kids can take pictures with athlete gear and a softball toss.
The UNT Talons will lead a zombie march that will pass through campus, over the pedestrian bridge and onto Apogee Stadium. The march will start at Kerr Hall at 4 p.m. A costume contest will take place during tailgating on the Hill.
Adams said that he and other UNT employees are selling $5 “Apogee after Dark” shirts, which they will be encouraging students to wear during the game if they’re not in costume.
“Overall, the theme of this day is for UNT students to have fun and dress up,” Adams said. “We also would like our fans to see UNT beat the heck out of the Rice Owls.”
Megan Hendrickson, sophomore biology major and a member of the UNT Talons, attends most of the Mean Green football games, but really looks forward to showing her support in costume as Lieutenant Data from “Star Trek: Next Generation” on Thursday.
“I’m looking forward to just seeing everyone’s costumes and the overall atmosphere of football and Halloween combined in one night,” Hendrickson said.
The game against Rice University is an important game for the Mean Green football team. A win would make the Mean Green bowl-eligible for the first time since 2004. The game also has implications in the Conference USA standings – Rice is tied for first place in the West Division while UNT is a game behind in third.
Head football coach Dan McCarney said he hopes the fans realize the magnitude of this game and expects “Halloween at Apogee” to help with the attendance, which has slowly been growing this season.
“We’re hoping we can get a tremendous turnout,” McCarney said. “I think ‘Halloween at Apogee’ will be a real special night for all of us in the stadium.”
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