The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is all but certain Saturday to draw one of its largest crowds ever to Finley Stadium.
The Mocs' season-opener against third-ranked Appalachian State University is being called the most anticipated UTC football game in more than a decade. Some say it's drawn the most interest since the 1997 inaugural game at Finley, which pulled a standing-room-only crowd of 22,642.
"I am hearing more about this game than any game since I've been in Chattanooga," said UTC Chancellor Roger Brown, who arrived at the school in 2006. "We've had some that were important before, but this one rises to a new level of excitement and interest."
That excitement has several seeds: UTC went 6-5 in 2009, Mocs coach Russ Huesman is entering his second season and expectations are high and former McCallie School star and Mocs quarterback B.J. Coleman enters his second season as the starter.
MOCS FOOTBALLNo. 3 Appalachian State at UTC3 p.m. Saturday at Finley StadiumTickets: Call 266-MOCS (6627) or visit www.gomocs.com for more information; fans planning on buying tickets before the game are encouraged to get to Finley as early as possible.
And finally, the opponent is the Appalachian State Mountaineers, a perennial power that won three straight national championships from 2005-2007 at Finley.
The UTC marketing department is working overtime to stir up as much buzz as possible for Saturday's game. Promoters announced last month that the game will be a "whiteout," with the players in all-white uniforms and all Mocs fans encouraged to wear white.
By the 3:05 p.m. kickoff, UTC will have distributed about 4,000 white T-shirts, plus thousands of other promotional items such as miniature footballs, pom-poms and white rubber bracelets.
"We've put everything into this game for the past month," UTC director of marketing Ryan Peck said.
UTC and Appalachian State are part of the Southern Conference, a part of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision.
"Last year, we didn't know what we had," said Brian Millican, a 1991 UTC graduate and season ticketholder. "I guess there was that hopeful anticipation then, but now there's truly high expectations."
Millican, an account manager for Southeastern Freight Lines in Dalton, Ga., brought 65 customers to last season's opener against Glenville State. They were among a crowd of 14,002, the third largest ever at Finley.
On Saturday, he's bringing 70, he said, including many who have never attended a Mocs game.
Estimates for Saturday's attendance have ranged from about 15,000 - the second largest turnout was 15,072 in 2000 - to a sellout crowd of 20,668.
UTC athletic director Rick Hart said the Mocs will have a great crowd, whatever the final number. As for the magnitude of the game both on the field and off, he said a lot of that will hinge on UTC's performance.
"It could be a big game if we compete well," he said. "I think that momentum could carry us through the rest of the year. If we don't, I still think the excitement level will be high, but we'll certainly have to come back and perform better to maybe keep that buzz in the community."
Big crowds are nothing new for Appalachian State, which was second in the Football Championship Subdivision last season with an average home attendance of 24,004. The Mocs averaged 10,503, an improvement of 4,755 from 2008 and the 11th biggest jump in all of the NCAA's Division I football. That umbrella division includes such schools as the University of Tennessee, Ohio State University and the University of Georgia.
The Mocs might one day average about 17,000 a game, but for that to happen "we've got to be good," Huesman said.
"We can't just be lousy and expect that to happen," he said, adding, "I think it's getting there, and there's more and more interest, but people like to come out and watch a winner."
UTC set a record for season ticket sales at Finley Stadium on Wednesday, passing the previous mark of 2,527 set last season. As of 6 p.m., UTC had sold 2,581. In addition, more than 6,847 tickets have been sold or distributed for the Appalachian State game.
The Mountaineers sold their block of 500 tickets quickly and are expected to have at least 1,500 fans at the game.
Appalachian State has won five in a row against UTC and hasn't lost to a Southern Conference opponent since 2007. Brown said there's a risk involved in putting so much effort and emotion into a game against a team that's probably a long shot to beat, but it's a risk worth taking.
"The games that are the most exciting," he said, "are also those where you have the most to lose."