June 23, 2010
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June 24, 2010
72 DAYS UNTIL KICKOFF - Count Charlie Gibbs among the first to jump on the bandwagon when Lamar President Dr. James Simmons kicked off the campaign to revive the university's football program.
In fact, Gibbs, who owns and operates a local travel agency, has been on the Cardinal football bandwagon ever since he was a Lamar student in the early 1970s. He and fellow Beaumonter Frank Messina were the organizers of a last-gasp effort to save the program before it was discontinued after the 1989 season. They spearheaded the movement to secure commitments to purchase 5,000 season tickets for the next three seasons, but it proved to be too little, too late.
"That was then, and this is now," said Gibbs prior to a recent round of golf at Beaumont Country Club. "We can't dwell on the past. The important thing is that football is back at Lamar even though it was a long time coming.
"This is a major step, not just for Lamar University but for everyone in the Golden Triangle and for this part of the state. It's going to provide many opportunities for students and not just the football players. It's going to attract more music majors, who will be in the marching band, and it's going to be a tremendous enhancement to overall campus life. Simply put, it's going to be fantastic to have college football back where it belongs - in Beaumont, Texas."
Having been in the travel business since the mid-1970s, Gibbs is well aware of the economic impact a collegiate football program can have on a community.
"Having six teams come here to play games this season is going to be great for our city as well as for Lamar," said Gibbs. "They're going to bring more than just the team members and coaches. They're going to bring moms and pops, grandmas and grandpas, friends and fans.
"They will fill up the hotels and the restaurants. A lot of tax dollars will be generated, and it will help improve the quality of life in our city and our region. I am so happy that Dr. Simmons and The Texas State University System Board of Regents were able to push this thing through. Now, it's going to be up to us to purchase the tickets and to help fill the stadium. For football to succeed, it's going to need the support of the entire community."
Lamar will play an 11 game schedule this season with six games being played in the newly renovated Provost Umphrey Stadium. The first Cardinal home game will be against Webber International on Sept. 11.
The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved an athletic fee to restore the program in February of 2008 and Lamar named former NFL player Ray Woodard its eighth head coach on June 19, 2008.
Tickets for this historic season are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Lamar Ticket Office at (409) 880-1715 or by visiting the athletics website at www.lamarcardinals.com/tickets/footbl-s-tickets.html.
