As Mountaineer fans continue to gobble up the allotted 12,500 Continental Tire Bowl tickets faster than race cars circle the Charlotte Motor Speedway, West Virginia University officials have announced official alumni and fan activities will take place at the Adams MarkHotel in Downtown Charlotte.
The popular MountaineerFanCenter, sponsored by WVU , will be set up in the Symphony Ballrooms of the hotel from noon-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, the day before the Mountaineers take on the Virginia Cavaliers at an 11 a.m. kickoff at Ericsson Stadium.
The Center will feature exclusive WVU giveaways and trinkets, photos with Coach Rod (actually, his likeness in a life-size cutout), the popular”Who Wants To Be A Mountaineer Millionaire”game show and a potential”Mountaineer Market”to purchase bowl attire and other official WVU merchandise.
Fans can also sign message banners to the team there and enjoy drop-in visits by the cheerleaders and Mountaineer throughout the day. A limited supply of WVU commemorative Continental Tire Bowl pins will also be for sale at the Center for $5. WVU s first commemorative bowl pin was designed in 1989 for WVU s perfect 11-0 regular season and participation in the Fiesta Bowl. The University has continued the tradition for each of the eight bowl appearances since.
From 7-10 p.m., the WVU Alumni Association will host a free reception at the FanCenter site. The”Mountaineer Fan Jam”with the theme,”The Spirit of Morgantown,”will make alumni and friends feel right at home, bringing a taste of High Street to Downtown Charlotte. Live entertainment will bring back memories of school days, and there will be a cash bar and a limited complement of hors doeuvres.
Admittance to both events is free, and all Mountaineer fans are welcome. Reservations are requested, however, for the”Fan Jam.”Send name and number of people in your party to
gregg.cave@mail.wvu.edu or call 1-866-988-2586 (1-866-WVU-ALUM).
“We really wanted this to be a special and fun occasion,”explained Stephen Douglas, CEO of the WVU Alumni Association.”We are taking thousands and thousands of fans to Charlotte, and they all love WVU , so we thought the theme of a trip down memory lane would remind us all of why Morgantown and our alma mater are so special to us.”
In addition, free gold pom-poms will be distributed by organizers at the entrance gates to Ericsson Stadium beginning at 9:30 a.m. on game day, Dec. 28.
Since Charlotte is within easy driving distance, no official air or land travel packages are being planned this year, according to officials. Many local travel agencies are planning various packages, and fans are encouraged to contact them directly.
Checkhttp://www.wvu.edu/bowl/for more information. To book hotel accommodations, fans are encouraged to contact the Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-231-4636 or log ontohttp://charlotte.hotelguide.net/. Fans may also call 1-800-246-8357 to make reservations via hotels.com.
“WVUs matchup in the inaugural Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., against the University of Virginia should be a terrific game between two strong programs,”said WVU President David C. Hardesty.”WVU, with a record of 9-3 and ranked No. 15 in the polls, and UVA , with a record of 8-5, both finished second in their respective conferences �€the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
WVU received approximately12,500 tickets to the game, and fans are urged to call 1-800-WVU-GAME to place orders, or stop by the ticket office at the Coliseum Monday-Friday.
Also on tap in Charlotte is the Continental Tire Bowl Uptown Pep Rally on the Square at Trade and Tryon streets from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, and an Uptown Progressive Party from 6:30 p.m.-midnight.
Further information regarding Charlotte and the Continental Tire Bowl can be obtained online athttp://continentaltirebowl.com.
WVU team headquarters will be at the OmniCharlotteHotel; the Mountaineer Marching Band will stay at the Charlotte City Center Courtyard.