by Jules Gonsoulin
sports editor

It is no secret that the Millsaps Majors’ first home football game was extremely popular for fans and students alike, with attendance reaching a little more than 2,000. While football games are generally popular among students, this turnout was simply unprecedented for a Millsaps game, and that can be attributed to factors other than the admiration of the football team.

One obvious facet of the game that inspired a big showing was the introduction of the Lucky Town beer garden. Students, fans and alumni over age 21 were invited to enjoy craft beer on the wooden deck opposite the tailgating area. Senior Will Travis, who admits to having left or arrived at games early in the past, says that the beer garden gave him an extra reason to stick around at the game. “It was very cool because it brought a lot of alumni, professors, and students together and encouraged us to stick around for the entire game.”

Another component to the success of the football game was the fact that fraternity and sorority rush was in full swing. While tailgates are usually an attraction at games, they were much more active and lively this year. Freshmen Danny Jennings commented on the energy of the tailgates, saying, “They were a lot of fun, everyone was just hanging out and having a great time watching the game.” He also expressed that it seemed that the competition of rush drove fraternities and sororities to improve their tailgates in order to attract a high amount of freshmen rushees.

Although the football team did not come out victorious, the game itself was a huge victory for the Millsaps athletic department. It appears that new athletic director Josh Brooks’ work has paid off in achieving higher attendance at games, and excitement surrounding the football team seems to be growing among the student body.