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NCAA Fall Festival
Over 800 athletes expected for Division II championships in soccer, volleyball, cross country and field hockey
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 firstever Division II championships bring over 800 student athletes, plus their families, coaches and fans to Pensacola Beach.
Top NCAA Division II athletes from all over the United States are arriving in Pensacola to 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.
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. There, a big event is planned with entertainment by the Molly Ringwalds, an 80's cover band, and fireworks over the bay as well as games, food vendors and demonstrations.
The athletes will practice and compete at the following locations:
Ticket prices General public $30 all session pass $12 single day pass Students $15 all session pass $5 single day pass
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 on Pensacola Beach.
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
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