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February 16, 2007

We Got Game(s)

The Homecoming game will be followed by the first Mavericks football home game in 22 years

Story by: Anthony Williams

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: File art

Students try out for the Maverick football club at the Campus Recreation Field Complex.

Football is back on campus for the first time since 1985, and Homecoming events begin next week.

However, these two don’t have anything to do with each other.

The university hasn’t had an official football program in 22 years. Homecoming, traditionally associated with football, has continued on instead at Mavericks basketball games.

Now football is unofficially back with the Maverick Football Club, a semi-pro football team. Its first home game coincides with Homecoming activities. Not surprisingly, these circumstances have some university community members confused.

“Why are they doing that? Why didn’t they pick different dates?” accounting junior Katina Vassileva said.

Sam deBerry, the Maverick football club coach, could not be reached for comment.

“It might’ve been a lack of planning,” alumnus Kenny Masenda said. “I’m pretty sure it was an honest mistake.”

The Mavericks men’s basketball team plays Stephen F. Austin State University at 4 p.m. Feb. 24 at Texas Hall, with the Homecoming king and queen coronation at halftime. The Maverick Football Club hosts Lake Country at 7 p.m. at Maverick Stadium.

While there’s not much of a time conflict between the two, the football game does run up against other activities. Business management senior Craig Allen, a member of this year’s homecoming court, said he won’t be able to attend the football game afterward because the Student Leader Alumni Reception starts at 7 p.m.

Allen said he wasn’t alarmed at first but was concerned when he heard students thinking that Homecoming was now taking place at the football game.

“People were confused at first,” he said. “But anyone wanting to make it an all-night thing should be able to.”

That’s if students aren’t already preoccupied, like civil engineering freshman Ashubush Parulkar, who said he’ll be studying that night.

“Our midterms start next week, that’s the problem,” he said. An international student, Parulkar said he’s not accustomed to the Homecoming tradition.

Vassileva said she didn’t know about any of the Homecoming events except the Ben Stein lecture on Wednesday, but might attend the Homecoming basketball game.

Masenda echoed Allen’s sentiments that people who really want to go to both will do so. As far as where he will likely be, he is still unsure.

“Depends on the weather,” Masenda said. “If it’s [cold] like it is now, I’ll be at the basketball game.”