Ferris State Hosts GVSU In Anchor-Bone Classic Saturday As Part Of Busy Day In Bulldog Athletics
Big Rapids, Mich. - One of West Michigan's greatest rivalries returns to Big Rapids for a second consecutive year this Saturday (Sept. 20) night as the Ferris State University football team hosts Grand Valley State in the Anchor-Bone Classic, presented by New Horizons Landscaping, at Top Taggart Field.
A large crowd is expected for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest, which kicks off at 7 p.m. (ET) under the lights in Big Rapids. Fans are encouraged to "come early, cheer loud and wear red!".
In an effort to help accomodate the large crowd and ease traffic congestion, stadium parking lots will open for tailgating starting at 4 p.m. (ET). Tailgating will be permitted only in lots 2, 35, 36 and 37 to the west and northeast sides of the stadium. Grand Valley State fans will park in lot 2.
Tickets for Saturday's gridiron game are on sale now and can be bought online at StarTickets.com, by calling (800) 585-3737, or in person thru the FSU Athletics Ticket Office located inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex. The ticket office is open today thru Friday from 9 a.m. (ET) to 5 p.m. (ET) with extended hours on Wednesday until 7 p.m. (ET).
The Wheeler Pavilion Gameday Ticket Office will also open early on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. (ET) with the gates to the stadium opening at 5:30 p.m. (ET). For more information on ticket sales, please call (231) 591-2888 or visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
Football tickets in advance for Saturday's premium game are only $12 for adults, senior citizens (ages 65+) and FSU faculty/staff along with $8 for students. Prices go up to $15 for adults, senior citizens and faculty/staff on gameday along with $10 for students. Ferris students with ID will be admitted free by showing their student identification cards.
Parking in lots near Top Taggart Field is $5 per available space on a first-come, first-served basis. As a convenience to fans, credit cards will also be accepted at the ticket window along with the concession stand.
Saturday's Anchor-Bone Classic will be part of a busy tripleheader for FSU Athletics in Big Rapids. The nationally 15th-ranked Bulldog Volleyball squad opens the day hosting Malone in league play at 3 p.m. (ET) with the women's soccer team hosting defending national champion GVSU beginning at 5 p.m. (ET).
A special tailgate event is planned in conjunction with the soccer game and will include a BBQ, music, games, giveaways and more. Fans will also have an opportunity to "meet & greet" with the Ferris State men's ice hockey team, which is the reigning WCHA Champion and reached the NCAA Division I Elite Eight a season ago. FSU students will receive free admission to soccer with a valid student ID card, the first 200 students will earn a free t-shirt and currently enrolled FSU students with a mean plan will receive free BBQ.
Tickets for Bulldog Soccer are $5 for adults or $3 for students in grades K-12, FSU faculty/staff and senior citizens at the gate. The BBQ cost will be $9 per person for the general public and all local Northland United Soccer Club participants who attend in jerseys with a paid adult will receive both free admission for soccer and free BBQ.
The Anchor Bone Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the Ferris State-Grand Valley State football game. The trophy debuted in 2002 and FSU took possession of the trophy following an impressive 40-24 triumph two years ago in Allendale, which represented the Bulldogs' first win over the Lakers since 1999 and came in the debut season for head coach Tony Annese. FSU then made it two in a row with a 54-44 win last season (10/12/13) in Big Rapids.
The nationally-ranked Bulldogs are currently unbeaten at 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the GLIAC heading into Saturday's tilt. Meanwhile, Grand Valley State is 0-2 overall and 0-1 in league action, but both setbacks have come against highly-regarded national opponents Azusa Pacific (Calif.) and reigning GLIAC Champion Ohio Dominican by a combined score of only seven points.
This week, the Bulldogs climbed to 16th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Top 25 poll along with 16th in the CompughterRatings.com listing and 18th in the Massey Ratings. Ferris State, coming off a 27-7 league-opening road win Saturday at Northwood, was also ranked 18th in the latest D2football.com poll announced last week and is 15th this week in the Beyond Sports Network D2 Power Rankings.
Meanwhile, GVSU was listed 15th in the D2football.com poll and 18th in the AFCA Rankings last week prior to a 28-24 home setback to Ohio Dominican, but dropped out of this week's AFCA Top 25 poll.
GVSU holds a 27-14-1 all-time series' advantage entering Saturday's showdown and had won 11 consecutive meetings between the two schools prior to the Bulldogs' current streak. The Lakersamde their first trip to Big Rapids a year ago since posting a 41-0 triumph in 2010, which came on the heels of a narrow 17-10 win over the Bulldogs at Top Taggart Field in 2009.
The FSU-GVSU football game will be broadcast live locally by the Bulldog Sports Network and Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley handling the play-by-play duties and Sandy Gholston offering color commentary. The broadcast begins with the Meijer Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m. (ET). A live high-definition video and audio webcast complete with internet statistics will be available through FSU's all-access video portal for a charge of $7.95 at FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
For more information on ticket sales, please visit this link:
Ticket Information