Important Game Day Information
9/27/2013 8:06:00 AM | Football
The much anticipated matchup between No. 2 Eastern Washington and No. 4 Sam Houston is here. Kickoff is at 2:07 p.m. Saturday at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
Tickets for the game are on sale online at www.gobearkats.com until 9 a.m. Saturday. The Bowers Stadium ticket window on the west (press box) side of the facility will open Saturday at 10 a.m. Parking lots will open at the same time.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance either on line or at the ticket office (Fri. 8am-5pm) to avoid lines on game day.
Fans are reminded that first aid stations are located on both the east and west sides of the stadium. Any one suffering heat problems or knowing of an individual in need of help may contact the first aid station for water and shade. Additionally, cooling water spray areas are available. Ask at the first aid station for more information.
Season ticket holders with parking passes labeled "W" (for West lot) will be parking the lot on the Press Box side of Bowers Stadium and enter from Bowers Blvd. Those patrons with season parking passes labeled "N" (for North lot) will enter from Bearkat Blvd. on the north side of Bowers.
Patrons are asked to check their parking passes to be sure in which lot (N or W) their space is located. Signs and public safety officers will be on the street to help direct fans to the proper parking lot.
The “Bearkat Alley” tailgate north of the stadium will open at 12 noon.
Participation in the Bearkat Alley tailgate is open to all recognized Sam Houston campus organizations and SHSU athletic corporate sponsors. For more information, campus entities may contact associate director of student activities Brandon Cooper at (936) 294-3465.
Individuals or businesses interested in participation at Bearkat Alley tailgate as a Bearkat partner may contact athletic marketing associate Zach Daniel at (936) 294-4132.
All participants are asked to adhere to SHSU official tailgate policies.
Outside entities wishing a more informal tailgate are asked to tailgate in the public parking areas located to the west of the intramural fields and adjacent to University Hotel and the library. These areas are designated as Lots P-5 and P-7.
Please see the parking map at the top of this page for more information.
Sam Houston State students must present an active Bearkat OneCard and enter at the northeast corner of the stadium by the scoreboard.
For more information, the Sam Houston athletic ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
Television Information
This Saturday's Parents Weekend game between the Bearkats and Eastern Washington will be televised, but unless you're at the game, you won't be able to see it. Why Not? It's because Comcast SportsNet Houston (CSN), the year-old regional sports network that's also home to the Houston Astros, Rockets, and Dynamo, isn't available on any of the TV providers that service the Huntsville area. Suddenlink, the dominant cable provider in the area, has refused to add the channel to its lineup. So has DirecTV, which bills itself as the leader in sports TV.
The opportunity to grow with CSN is tremendous. The channel, which is part of the NBC Sports Group, produces high quality games that rival any major Division 1 telecast. With only a handful of Bearkat games televised each season, CSN could step in to carry most of the games, and bring the school more exposure and help with recruiting in the five-state region which CSN eventually hopes to broadcast to.
But the TV providers have to step up and make the channel available.
Alumni living in the Houston area have several options to see the action. Comcast Cable carries CSN, as does a few smaller cable TV providers. But with a wide-ranging alumni base and coming off back-to-back appearances in the FCS title game, interest in Sam Houston State Football is at an all-time high. Alumni outside of the Houston area who can't get to Huntsville for the game are effectively being blacked out. And if you're in Huntsville? You're blacked out too.
Some Astros, Rockets, and Dynamo fans have had success calling their TV providers, demanding they carry the channel, and at least getting a discount off their bill. Bearkat fans should do the same.
