Ferris State Football To Honor Three Key Individuals During Friday's Spring Game

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football program will pay tribute to three individuals on Friday (April 19) evening during the Bulldogs' annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game at Top Taggart Field.

Former Ferris State University Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger, who retired in 2021, will serve as the game's honorary captain and take part in the coin toss prior to the spring game. Weisenburger hired current FSU head coach Tony Annese in 2011 and played a key role in the resurgence of Bulldog Football.

Along with Weisenburger, two other individuals who have played key roles in recent years will serve as the game's honorary coaches. Former FSU Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and head athletic trainer, Brett Knight, will be one of the game's honorary coaches while current FSU Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrew Thiede will be the opposite side. Knight departed from FSU earlier this spring for another career opportunity while Thiede will be leaving the Bulldog program and moving out of state in May. Both have played lead roles in working with FSU's football student-athletes and were part of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championship staffs in 2021 and 2022.

In addition to honoring the honorary coaches and captains, the Bulldogs will also honor other Ferris State championship teams from this academic year, including the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship men's and women's basketball teams along with the volleyball and golf conference championship squads. Various FSU student-athletes and teams will also take part in special halftime activities.

Kickoff for the spring contest is set for 5:30 p.m. (ET). Admission to the event will be free and gates will open one hour prior to kickoff.

As in years past, the annual Crimson & Gold Spring Game is also slated to be broadcast live on the Bulldog Sports Network and local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM with Rob Bentley and Sandy Gholston on the call starting with pregame coverage at 5 p.m. It will be streamed online with both live audio and a free live video webcast courtesy of the Ferris State Television & Digital Media Production program at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. The live radio call will also be carried over the stadium public address system for the fans in attendance.

The annual spring game will provide fans with an opportunity to watch the Bulldogs for the first time since last fall in a game-like situation under head coach Tony Annese and his staff. The spring game will feature a modified scoring and timing format and provide an opportunity for many of FSU's younger players to take the field for the first time while wrapping up spring drills.

The Bulldogs will begin their 115th season of varsity competition this coming fall with their sights set on making a 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The Bulldogs have made five national semifinal appearances along with three trips to the national championship game and back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 during the stretch.

Over the past three seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 36-4 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs nine consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals five times in the past seven seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past nine full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 63-6 over the last four seasons of on-field action, including back-to-back NCAA D2 National Championships in 2021 and 2022.

Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860) overall since the arrival of Annese as head coach in 2012.