Come watch the Mocs play in Birmingham versus Samford on October 10th. The UTC Alumni Office and UTC Mocs Club have arranged a bus, tailgate and ticket package for those who want to travel together to watch the game.  Tailgating will include a catered lunch including non-alcoholic beverages.

Package Prices:

• Bus, Ticket & Tailgate: $50/person
• Ticket & Tailgate: $25/person
• Tailgate only: $10/person

To reserve your spot, please contact Patrick Miles at 423/425-4785 or email at Patrick-Miles@utc.edu.

The TomTom urged us to turn left whenever possible as my mother tapped the screen with frustration. Its once novel British accent aggravated my father, already annoyed by Chattanooga’s one-way streets. Our simple drive to find a McDonalds breakfast took us on an impromptu tour of North Shore and an old urban neighborhood, a confusionthat made me nostalgic for our family road trips. Eventually we found America’s fast food joint by the student health center, an amusing irony we appreciated.We then found my dorm and quickly unpacked with the help of the UTC football team. I lingered by the car hesitantly, slowly realizing this family trip would return with one less passenger.

My parents’ departure was unexpectedly anti-climatic. We snapped a picture in front of my dorm, hugged, and they returned to the car. I can only imagine the mixed sigh of relief they shared in the car; this was a milestone twenty-eight years in the making. My sister Melanie, 28, has already graduated from the University of Memphis, taught elementary school, married, and is currently raising sixteen-month old twins in Charleston, South Carolina. My twenty-five year old brother Derrick ran cross country and track for UT Martin, earned his Masters at ETSU, and moved near my sister as a policeman in Charleston.

Although I suspect my mother manipulated me to attend college in East Tennessee to push me towards the rest of her brood in Charleston, I chose UTC for a wide variety of reasons. Aside from the generous scholarships that made it the practical choice, I simply felt comfortable in Chattanooga. Knoxville’s immense concrete jungle campus felt overwhelming, and I was more than eager to leave Memphis after nineteen years. I also received a small scholarship to compete on UTC’s cross country team, an eye-opening experience I will share shortly.

UT Chattanooga boasts three qualities I sought in a college: affordable, small, and it’s dynamic. UTC is not a one dimensional university; campus and community recreation is available such as clubs, free concerts, cookouts, church services, and countless outdoor activities. My main extracurricular activity, cross country, consumes my time. One commonly hears 8 am class horror stories, but my day begins around 7. I wake up during a light 4 mile run or a less-than-leisurely pool workout, and then run again in the afternoon. I undoubtedly make a great impression as a pale and shirtless lightweight in short shorts.

Freshmen on UTC's Cross Country Team (L-R) Ryan Tutor, Kyle McLarty, me, Mark Cole, TJ Whitaker, and Lucas Cotter

Owing to an injury that prevented me training over the summer, I nervously approached our first practice. Our team captain assured us it would be light and introductory. We blazed through downtown, over the quaint walking bridge to North Shore, and past the row of artsy shops and restaurants before another freshman and I “dropped”, exhausted and winded. Dazed, we staggered over a bridge not intended for pedestrians and took the first exit off the interstate. The same teammate and I have since had similar lost explorations on Signal Mountain’s Reflection Point trail, the Chickamauga Civil War battlefield, and Moccasin Bend.

Aside from humbling practices, my sport introduced me to new friends: my teammates. Whether it is movie night at the Bijou Cinema, Amigo’s $0.75 tacos on Monday night, $0.45 wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on Tuesday, carbo-loading at Olive Garden, or just playing on the Xbox, I’m fortunate to figuratively and literally run around with great teammates.

Frequently urged to get involved in many ways, I noticed a flyer for The House and decided to investigate the nearby building. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I enjoyed it; a band plays non-denominational worship music, and Pastor Burke shares some words that encourage students and challenge them to explore their faith. The House also hosted an unrelated concert that featured a variety of Chattanooga bands.

My socialite lifestyle caught up with me once, however. I took a study-break outside my dorm one evening and my neighbors beckoned me over. Eager to meet new friends, I approached the lively group and introduced myself. Moments later, two upset RAs emerged and silenced us, collecting our names and ID numbers. I received a reprimanding email days later that informed me I was on the noise complaint list.

Classes were certainly an experience compared to high school. As a Catholic school student for my entire education, I balked when one professor freely doubted God’s existence and challenged a fundamentalist student’s beliefs. Another professor’s dry sarcasm entertained the class, but successfully presented the drier lesson.

Time certainly changed moving from Memphis; it sped up. College life is a whirlwind that demands proper time management and responsibility. Only three weeks into my new life, I view the snapshot of my parents and I as an attic artifact, but the routes I run around the elusive McDonalds and North Shore are all too familiar.

SoCon Football Preseason Media Teleconference to be Streamed Online

Fans Can Participate by Submitting Questions for League Coaches and Players

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference preseason football media teleconference on Tuesday, July 28 will be streamed live throughout the day on SoConSports.com, giving SoCon football fans the chance to hear the league’s head football coaches and select players discuss the upcoming season.

In addition, fans will have the opportunity to contribute to this year’s event by submitting questions for coaches and student-athletes – one of which will be chosen for each participant in the teleconference. Fans should email their questions to SoConFootball2009@gmail.com, including the following information:

· Your name

· Hometown

· Favorite SoCon team

· Coach or student-athlete to whom your question is directed

· Question

The event kicks off at 8:45 a.m. (ET) when league commissioner John Iamarino will give remarks and be available for questions from the media.

Starting at 9:00 a.m., each coach will be allotted 30 minutes for interviews, and every student-athlete will fill a 15-minute window following his head coach. In order to help media members who cannot stay on for the entire call, we will not begin a coach or player’s interview until his allotted time slot.

A complete schedule is attached below.

SoCon Football Media Day Schedule

8:45             Commissioner John Iamarino

9:00             The Citadel

Kevin Higgins, 9:00

Andre Roberts, 9:30

9:45             Wofford

Mike Ayers, 9:45

Mitch Clark, 10:15

10:30 Chattanooga

Russ Huesman, 10:30

Joseph Thornton, 11:00

11:15            Furman

Bobby Lamb, 11:15

Justin Brown, 11:45

12:00            Georgia Southern

Chris Hatcher, 12:00

Cole Fountain, 12:30

12:45            Appalachian State

Jerry Moore, 12:45

Armanti Edwards, 1:15

1:30             Western Carolina

Dennis Wagner, 1:30

Chris Collins, 2:00

2:15             Elon

Pete Lembo, 2:15

Terrell Hudgins, 2:45

3:00             Samford

Pat Sullivan, 3:00 (2:00 CT)

Chris Evans, 3:30 (2:30 CT)

NOTE: All times are EASTERN and student-athlete participants are subject to change.

-www.SoConSports.com-

Check out the video

  Read the rest of this entry »

It was a standing room only crowd at Big River Grille in downtown Chattanooga, TN on Sunday night (March 15, 2009) as the Chattanooga Mocs head basketball coach, John Shulman, offered up remarks about the Mocs’ appearance in the 2009 NCAA basketball tournament, the first since the 2005 season.  Read the rest of this entry »

The 2009 schedule for the Chattanooga Mocs football program has been posted by the UTC Athletics office.  The Mocs will play five home games, opening up with Division II Glenville State College (West Virginia) on Thursday, September 3.  They open up their Southern Conference games at home on Saturday, September 12 versus Furman.  Homecoming will take place on September 26 as the Mocs host the Wofford Terriers.  And the season closes out against SEC power Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, November 21.

For more information on the schedule please visit GoMocs.com.

If you were a member of the cheer squad at the University of Chattanooga or University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, please contact the Mocs Cheer Squad coach, Ashli Skiles, at 423/425-5359 or at ashli-skiles@utc.edu.

From Vols vs. Mocs Basketball Game

Mocs. Vols. Hoops. Get on the Bus!

Saturday, Nov. 15

SPONSORED BY THE UTC MOCS CLUB

Open to Students, Faculty, Staff and Fans!

Join UTC Basketball Fans and other UTC Mocs Club members for a road trip to Knoxville to watch Chattanooga take on the Tennessee Volunteers!

COST PER PERSON ONLY $35!

Includes:

Charter Deluxe Motorcoach round-trip to Thompson-Boling Arena

UTC Pre-Game Reception inside the arena

Game Ticket: UTC @ UTK, 7 p.m.

Bus leaves McKenzie Arena Lot 20 at 3:30 p.m.

Bus Returns to Chattanooga immediately following the game

TO RSVP, PLEASE CONTACT SCOTT KOSKOSKI at x4233 or scott-koskoski@utc.edu   

Questions? Contact the UTC Mocs Club at x4233

GO MOCS!

Lady Mocs. Lady Vols. McKenzie Matchup.

Friday, November 21 

7:00 p.m.

McKenzie Arena

(source: GoMocs.com)
Tickets go on sale Thursday, Nov. 6 for your chance to watch the nine-time defending Southern Conference champion Lady Mocs take on the Lady Vols in your own back yard.

It’s “Pack the House Challenge” as the Lady Mocs look to set a women’s basketball attendance record and it can’t be done without your help. Visit the McKenzie Arena box office or call 423-266-MOCS to get your tickets or go online at www.GoMocs.com to reserve your seats to see the two-time defending national champions make their first visit to the Scenic City since 2004.

There will be a limited number of lower level tickets available Thursday, Nov. 6 with a limit of eight (8) per customer. Tickets are $20 at this level. Upper level Reserved Side Court seats are $15 and baseline upper level general admission tickets are $10. There is no limit to the number of tickets purchased at the upper level.

Don your GOLD and “Pack the House” for this game as the Lady Mocs begin their quest for a 10^th consecutive Southern Conference title! Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. at the box office or anytime online at GoMocs.com!

“1000 Riot at UT for 1.5 Hours”

That was the headline on the front page of The Knoxville News-Sentinel on Sunday, November 9, 1958, the day after the Chattanooga Mocs beat the Tennessee Vols 14-6 at UT’s Shields-Watkins Field.  Immediately following the game, students from The University of Chattanooga celebrated their win by tearing down both goal posts and parading through the streets. The scene according to UC alumni, students at the time, started out as celebratory but turned into a massive riot as Knoxville police began firing tear gas grenades. In the end, some $2,000 of damage was accumulated and ten students were arrested. 

The scene from that day remains fervently alive in the hearts of many UC alumni. And on Saturday, November 8, 2008, exactly fifty years to the day, the UTC campus will honor and celebrate that famous UC football event at the home game of the UTC versus Appalachian State football game.  It is fitting that the UTC Mocs will play the Mountaineers on this day.  Much commotion was made at the start of last season when the Appalachian State Mountaineers beat the Michigan Wolverines at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  For the general public, it led to claims that the game was the biggest upset in college football history. But it was not the first time a small school beat a major powerhouse in their own backyard. For Chattanooga fans, the Appy State game sparked the memory of their big defeat of the Vols in Knoxville, putting “to shame the Tennessee football team’s disasterous season.”

The 1958 Chattanooga Mocs Football Team

The 1958 football team reunion will coincide with the Class of 1958 Reunion and 50-Plus Weekend events that will take place on November 7-8, 2008.  To learn more about the celebration, please visit www.utcalumni.com/reunions.php or call the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs at 423/425-4785 or 800/728-4882.