Ferris State To Honor D2 National Champions With Free "Celebrate The Champions" Event Friday!
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University alumni, students and fans are invited to help "Celebrate The Champions" on Friday (April 20) night as FSU honors the school's 2018 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship squad in a special evening event at Jim Wink Arena.
The Bulldogs will honor and recognize this year's historic team, which captured the school's first national championship and also matched the all-time NCAA Division II record for victories in a season with a 38-1 campaign.
The free event will begin with the doors to Wink Arena opening at 7 p.m. (ET). Fans will be able to catch a replay of the CBS national championship game broadcast on a big screen with all team players and coaches introduced under the lights at 7:30 p.m. (ET). That will be followed by speeches from several individuals, including FSU head coach and National Coach of the Year Andy Bronkema among others.
Following the formal portion of the event, fans can enjoy a championship experience with a variety of games and special events from 8-9 p.m. (ET). It will include an autograph session for team members, photos with the national championship trophy, special shooting games involving life-sized player cutouts, confetti, a "Fear The Beard" photo station and more.
During the evening, Coach Bronkema and senior standout Noah King will also "shave their beards" as part of a fundraising effort to help support Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy in honor of Rockford native Mitchell Peterson, who has been the Bulldogs' honorary team member this season and is the brother of current FSU redshirt freshman Michael Peterson. To date, the special fundraising campaign has generated more than $9,000 for the cause thru a Go Fund Me page.
Throughout the evening, the FSU Pro Shop located inside the Ewigleben Sports Complex will be open for those wanting to purchase championship merchandise and the concession stand will also be open in the main concourse.
Along with the national championship trophy, the team's other hardware earned this season including the GLIAC Championship, GLIAC Tournament title and the Midwest Regional crown will also be on display.
Admission to the event itself is free and the public is encouraged to come out and honor this year's national championship squad. The "Celebrate The Champions" event will follow the Bulldog Football Spring Game, which kicks off at 5 p.m. (ET) at Top Taggart Field.
Ferris State, which topped Northern State 71-69 in the national championship game in Sioux Falls, S.D., capped a magical season which saw FSU match the all-time NCAA Division II record for most wins in a year while finishing with a 38-1 mark. FSU also won its second consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular Season Championship, a fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament title and the Midwest Regional crown.
In addition to Bronkema earning National Coach of the Year recognition, Ferris State also had the National Player of the Year in junior center Zach Hankins.
To help support Coach Bronkema's "Shave The Beard" effort, please visit this link:
https://www.gofundme.com/t54bry-bye-bye-beard