When fans descend upon Jacksonville for the 2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, there will be plenty of activities and events waiting for them, including the popular Mountaineer Connection Fan Experience.
Bowl-related programming will begin in the Mountain State, with the Tamarack, located at Exit 45 on I-64-77 near Beckley), again serving as a pit stop for fans motoring to Jacksonville for the game.
Road trippers can stop on Wednesday, Dec. 30, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and refresh with free fountain soft drinks or coffee, connect with friends and fans, pick up WVU gift items, get a Beckley Register-Herald special bowl edition and take advantage of great discounts on gold and blue merchandise.
Once fans arrive in Jacksonville, they can take advantage of numerous activities, including the popular Mountaineer Connection Fan Experience. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, at Jacksonville Landing’s Mavericks Rock N’ Honky Tonk Concert Hall and Twisted Martini.
Alumni and friends will enjoy a performance by The Pride of West Virginia Pep Band, appearances by the Mountaineer and WVU cheerleaders, special photo opportunities, a cheer school, WVU highlights and videos, the gold and blue traditions challenge, Lil’ Mountaineers Corner, and bowl games on multiple televisions.
There will also be visits by WVU celebrities, great food and beverage concessions, exclusive giveaways, tailgate games and more.
The Mountaineer Connection is a joint venture of WVU and the WVU Alumni Association with support from the WVU Foundation and the Mountaineer Athletic Club. This event is free and open to the public.
For fans interested in purchasing officially licensed WVU apparel in Jacksonville, a Mountaineer Market will be available in the St. John’s Room of the Hyatt Regency immediately adjacent to the Landing. The market will be open on Wednesday, Dec. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 31, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon.
WVU fans who visit the Mountaineer Market on Jan. 1, will receive a special game day giveaway, while supplies last. For more information on the events listed above, visit http://bowlgame.wvu.edu/events or connect using your mobile device via WVU’s Mobile Web – http://m.wvu.edu.
Mountaineers can also take advantage of official Gator Bowl activities, including the Winn-Dixie Hometown Gator Bowl Parade (Dec. 31), WVU Pep Rally at Jacksonville Landing (Dec. 31), VyStar 5k Run (Dec. 31) and the Budweiser Tailgate Party (Jan. 1). More information about these and other Gator Bowl activities can be found at http://www.gatorbowl.com/events_schedule.html .
Fans can purchase the official Gator Bowl Patch for $10 by contacting the WVU Alumni Association at 866-WVU-ALUM or 304-293-4731. In addition to being a great souvenir gift, the Patch also serves as the pass to the game-day Budweiser Tailgate Party on Jan. 1.
To learn more official WVU bowl travel opportunities, visit http://www.WVUSportsTravel.com or call 1-800-924-9993.
The Mountaineers face off against the Florida State Seminoles in the Gator Bowl on Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. The sold-out game will be televised on CBS. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Alumni and friends not traveling to the bowl game can visit WVU BowlSpace – http://bowlgame.wvu.edu/ – where they can show support for the team and, of course, read about the latest bowl activities and events, including blogs from students and alumni.
Here is the schedule of events:
December 30, 2009
8:00 am – 8:00 pm Tamarack Pit Stop
Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia
One Tamarack Park, Beckley, WV
9:00 am –9:00 pm Mountaineer Market at the Hyatt Regency
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville St. John’s Room
225 East Coastline Dr., Jacksonville, FL
December 31, 2009
9:00 am –9:00 pm Mountaineer Market at the Hyatt Regency
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville St. John’s Room
225 East Coastline Dr., Jacksonville, FL
Free giveaway to store visitors while supplies last
10:00 am – 7:00 pm Mountaineer Connection Fan Experience
Mavericks Rock N’ Honky Tonk Concert Hall and Twisted Martini
Jacksonville Landing
2 Independent Dr., Jacksonville, FL
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Vystar 5k Run
Jacksonville Landing
2 Independence Dr., Jacksonville, FL
$30 per person registration fee
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Winn-Dixie Hometown Gator Bowl Parade
Downtown Northbank
Bay St., Water St., Independence Dr., Jacksonville, FL
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm WVU Pep Rally
Jacksonville Landing
2 Independence Dr., Jacksonville, FL
8:00 pm – 12:00 am Mavericks Rock N’ Honky Tonk Concert Hall and
Twisted Martini New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Jacksonville Landing
2 Independence Dr., Jacksonville, FL
Options include general admission and reserved table seating with favors and toast – call Cyndi Murray at 904-813-6302 for details
January 1, 2010
10:00 am – 1:00 pm Gator Bowl Tailgate Party
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium Entertainment Zone
1 Stadium Pl., Jacksonville, FL
Gator Bowl Patch required for admission
1:00 pm Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
WVU vs. Florida State
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
1 Stadium Pl., Jacksonville, FL
tec/12.15.09
CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association
304-293-4731, tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu