2018 GLVC Football Kickoff Schedule, Website Released

INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has released the schedule along with a fan-friendly website for the seventh annual GLVC Football Kickoff event, which will take place on the campus of McKendree University on Friday, July 27.  The website, which can be found at GLVCsports.com/GLVCkickoff18, combines several social and traditional media platforms to allow both the conference’s media and fan base to interact with the eight GLVC football head coaches and 16 student-athletes that will be at The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT.

Each school’s head coach and two student-athletes will rotate through a number of 10-minute stations designed to promote GLVC football on various platforms, including a live press conference on the GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN), engaging “4 Downs” interviews that will be uploaded to the GLVC’s official YouTubepage, an Instagram photo shoot and “Chalk Talk” session, as well as a “3 & Out” feature on Facebook Live.

Back this year is the Snapchat Social Lounge, allowing the student-athletes an opportunity to take over the GLVC’s Snapchat account, GLVCsports.  In addition, the Conference office will make available a number of GLVC- and school-specific Snapchat Geofilters at The Hett for customized snaps.

Each coach and student-athlete will take part in several interview sessions. When they reach the live video stream station, the team representatives will spend 10 minutes previewing the upcoming season while coverage of the formal press conference will be streamed live for all fans to watch free of charge on GLVCSN.com, as well as the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile apps and GLVCSN OTT apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV.

Not only will fans have an opportunity to see their team in a formal setting, they will also have several opportunities to see their personal side as well.  The “3 & Out” feature on Facebook Live will showcase each participant fielding questions focused on life as an NCAA Division II student-athlete, while also entertaining questions submitted by GLVC fans watching online.  The “4 Downs” YouTube segment, which will be hosted by GLVCSN Extra Credit reporter and University of Indianapolis senior Mallory Moreno, will put each player and coach on the clock with four “hot seat” questions.
Fans will learn more about the keys to victory and pregame protocol from the teams at the Instagram “Chalk Talk” station, while coaches and players will also pose for a variety of different photos and videos on the platform.  Fans can immediately post those pictures to their social media accounts and share them with all of their friends.

In the spirit of The Hett, a new station entitled “Center for the Arts” will be introduced this year, showcasing the artistic side of each attendee.  Don’t worry, these masterpieces will be shared on various social platforms!

The league will also be using Twitter to promote the 2018 season on its official Twitter accounts: @GLVCsports and @GLVCSN.  The GLVC will once again be using the hashtag #GLVCkickoff and encourages its schools and fans to do the same.  In addition, the league will release the 2018 GLVC Preseason Poll on Twitter over the course of the first hour of the event.  Back for a fifth season will be “Twenty on Twitter,” which concludes the online event with all eight coaches and 16 players tweeting live on both their personal and school’s official athletics Twitter accounts from 12:50-1:10 p.m. CT.  Over those final 20 minutes, the conference participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts on the event, tweet photos from the day, or answer any final questions from fans using #GLVCkickoff on select accounts, including @UIndyAthletics, @GoBlueTigers, @McKBearcats, @minersports, @QUHawks, @sbubearcats, @TrumanAthletics, and @WJCCardinals.

Media members attending GLVC Football Kickoff will also be involved in the station rotation, as each GLVC football team will spend at least 10 minutes with reporters from print, radio and television outlets throughout the conference footprint.

Additional one-on-one time will also be made available during the event as needed.

A photo gallery featuring the day’s activities, as well as group pictures of the head coaches and student-athletes in attendance, will also be available following the event.

The players and coaches scheduled to attend the 2018 GLVC Football Kickoff are Indianapolis head coach Bob Bartolomeo, redshirt senior quarterback Jake Purichia and senior linebacker Cole Sigmund; Lincoln University head coach Steven A. Smith, junior lineman Jamal Brown and senior linebacker Edwin Durassaint; McKendree head coach Mike Babcock, senior quarterback Reece Metcalf and junior linebacker Michael Tucker; Missouri S&T head coach Tyler Fenwick, senior quarterback Tyler Swart, and senior linebacker Landon Compton; Quincy head coach Gary Bass, junior lineman Justin Rosendahl and senior linebacker Cody Leonard; Southwest Baptist University head coach Robert Clardy, senior wideout Tristyn Bennett and senior linebacker Tyler Curts;  Truman State head coach Gregg Nesbitt, senior lineman Tanner Hageman and junior linebacker Bryan Edwards; and William Jewell head coach Shawn Weigel, sophomore tight end Nick Fisher and redshirt junior defensive back Donte’ Colum.  Also in attendance will be GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich and GLVC Supervisor of Football Officials Mike McCann.

Media members interested in attending the 2018 GLVC Football Kickoff can still apply for credentials by contacting GLVC Associate Commissioner Jeff Smith at [email protected].

The schedule featuring all the day’s social media stations can be found below:

KEY: UINDY-Indianapolis, LU-Lincoln, MCK-McKendree, S&T-Missouri S&T, QU-Quincy, SBU-Southwest Baptist, TSU-Truman State, WJC-William Jewell, GLVC-Commissioner Jim Naumovich/Supervisor of Football Officials Mike McCann.