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NCAA Fall Festival will spotlight Pensacola Beach
By Lisa Newell Splash! Magazine
As Santa Rosa Island Authority General Manager Buck Lee puts it, the NCAA Fall Festival will be "one heck of a shot in the arm" for Pensacola Beach in November, when the first-ever Division II championships bring over 800 student athletes, plus their families, coaches and fans to Pensacola Beach.
Just six weeks away, the NCAA Division II athletes from all over the United States are finishing their qualifications to travel to Pensacola and compete in men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country and women's field hockey at different venues in Escambia County.
However, all athletes will be lodged in an Olympic-style athlete's village on Pensacola Beach, where they will be able to stay for the duration of the event, even after they are disqualified.
"You'd be amazed at the quality of the student athletes," said Richard Berg, University of West Florida Athletic Director. UWF is in Division II and is one of the hosts of the Fall Festival, along with the Pensacola Sports Association.
"CBS will be here the entire week filming, and there will be a special shown in prime time," Berg said. He added that events will be webcast back to cities so they can watch the games live on their computers.
Opening ceremonies for the athletes begin at Seville Quarter, where the teams will dine before parading to Seville Square in downtown Pensacola.
The athletes will practice and compete at the following locations:
Men's and Women's Cross Country - Escambia County Equestrian Center
Women's Field Hockey - Brosnaham Soccer Complex
Women's Volleyball - University of West Florida Fieldhouse
Men's and Women's Soccer - Brosnaham Soccer Complex.
The festival will culminate with an invitation-only awards ceremony at Flounder's Restaurant on Pensacola Beach and fireworks over the bay.
During the day, athletes will participate in building six homes for Habitat for Humanity as the NCAA fosters community involvement among the athletes.
Berg said NCAA is utilizing the event as a way to promote sporting geography among 4th through 8th graders in Baldwin County, Ala., and Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties in Florida.
Berg said the economic impact of the event was gauged at $1.18 million when factoring in athletes only, and not including families and fans who attend the events.
Also, the athletes will be exposed to Pensacola at a crucial time in their lives, when they are about to graduate from college and decide the locations to work, live and vacation.
"It's our chance to show them what a great place Pensacola is," Berg said.
Volunteers are needed to help with the NCAA Fall Festival in the areas of hospitality, parking, airport greeters, ushers at each event, and to help decorate at opening ceremonies. Berg suggests volunteers have a good working knowledge of Pensacola and be able to give accurate directions. A volunteer sign up party will be Oct. 19 at Seville Quarter from 5 to 7 p.m. More information will be available at that time.
Attendance at events is important to the overall success of the NCAA Fall Festival and integral to the decision to return to Pensacola for subsequent events. Ticket packages will be available in advance through the Pensacola Sports Association at 434-2800 or online at www.pensacolasports.com
For details, call UWF 474- 2985.
Details
NCAA Fall Festival November 15-19, 2006
Division II
Championships in Men's and Women's
Cross Country -
Equestrian Center Women's Volleyball -
UWF Field House
Men's and Women's Soccer - Brosnaham Park Women's Field Hockey
- Brosnaham Park
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