Bulldog football with several special events.
Meet fellow Bulldog fans for pre-game gatherings in the North Plaza of historic Drake Stadium starting two hours prior to each of the following Saturday games:
- “Blue Out Game” vs. Northern Iowa, Sept. 22 – pre-game party, $12 per person; game (time to be determined), $15 per person.
- Drake vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 27, and vs. Dayton, Nov. 10 – pre-game events will feature inflatable games for the kids, with food and beverages available for purchase. Both games begin at 1 p.m.; game tickets are $10 per person.
In addition, the Drake community will celebrate Paul Morrison’s 90th birthday and the 1957 Drake University Sun Bowl team during Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 6, with a pre-game picnic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the North Plaza of Drake Stadium. Cost is $15 per person. Drake then will take on Butler for the 1 p.m. game; tickets are $10 per person.
To attend ticketed events, contact the Drake Athletic Office at 515-271-DOGS or visit the Athletic Web site and click on “tickets.”
Morrison, who came to Drake as a first-year student in 1935, worked as the circulation manager and then sports editor for the Times-Delphic and the editor of the yearbook. He worked in the University’s news bureau until his graduation in 1939. Soon after, he was drafted into the Army. When Sgt. Morrison returned to the States in 1945, he came back home to Drake, returning to the news bureau as full-time director. He’s been at Drake ever since. Even following his retirement in 1986, he has volunteered every day (and most evenings) for the athletics department.
Alumni and friends can honor Morrison’s impact on Drake and its students with a 90th birthday gift that will keep on giving. Through his career, he has served as the primary connector for Drake University’s varsity letter winners, athletics alumni, and former coaches and staff. To continue his work, the Drake Athletics Department is establishing an endowment fund to support the Paul F. Morrison Legacy Fellowship. This endowment will fund a position to assist Morrison while he continues his important work and will succeed him when he officially retires his role at Drake University. For more information, contact Jim Shimon, senior advancement officer for the Athletic Department, at 515-271-2138 or jim.shimon@drake.edu.
Drake’s 1957 football team under Coach Warren Gaer generated great excitement with its 7-2 record, including its victory over Iowa State University, 20-0, in Drake Stadium. The team won the Missouri Valley Conference title that year and went on to play Louisville in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on New Year’s Day 1958. While the Bulldogs lost that game, they are remembered for their tenacity and skill.