College Football Stadium Site Moved Because Of Eagles

((HT: WSB-TV))

Berry College is in the process of adding a new football stadium to their facilities to go with their burgeoning football program in NCAA Division III.

Here's a piece the HQ did on the Reinhardt and Berry College programs in Year One


They started thinking about building their own barn on campus, had Valhalla all picked out, but got visitors- bald eagles.
They put up a webcam to show everyone the eagles as they net- and it ended up with over 17-million views
You can still check it out hyah

The school is thinking discretion and moving across the street is the better idea...

Here's Fred Blankenship with some web cam video of the eagles...
"We didn't see the eagles coming," commented Berry President Steve Briggs. "But they certainly knew what they were looking for in a college. It would be difficult to find a more fitting home for a pair of nesting bald eagles than Berry's amazing campus. The eagles epitomize this place— both its uncommon beauty and its educational opportunity." So, the Eagles win and the Vikings get more room for their new barn.

First-Timers On The Field: Mercer, Berry, and Reinhardt...

The HQ has always been one of those places where we like to hidden gems, stories that are cool, just off the trail, and a champion for those places that have their niches...

Is it "Nitch" or "Neesh," we digress...

And having been in the circles of a few places over the past few weeks, it's fun to see new shiny things as the HQ hopes the novelty doesn't quite wear off when the newness does...

First stop was Mercer University in Macon- the first time that football would be on campus in 70-plus years. They played Reinhardt University. Mercer is a developing Division I program coached by Bobby Lamb that is in the Pioneer League this year as they move forward into Division I-AA next year. Reinhardt is working their way in the NAIA ranks in the Mid-South Conference in football and the AAC in every other sport.

The Eagles brought in long time Georgia high school head coach Danny Cronic who went to Reinhardt when it was a junior college. He has a roster that is full of Georgia kids (only 6 are not from the state) in their roster of 130 athletes. The first game for both was a 40-37 shootout in front of a crowd of just under 13,000.

Here's their recap, thanks to FOSG Andy Stabell...
((HT: Mercer Bears))


Reinhardt moved on from there to have their home opener against Lindsay Wilson in Waleska.


So, if you look at Berry College, Reinhardt, and Mercer...

You see three schools in varying degrees of business (which is what athletics are these days) and hoping they all move their audiences to being around on a consistent basis.

They'll all be royal pains to their more experienced squads they have on their schedules this season- and all the coaching staffs are solid and know what will put people in the seats...

Home grown talent... something the HQ notices is lacking in their larger brotherhood...

Sometimes, it's guys like Lamb, Cronic, and Kunczewski that could teach Division I power conferences a thing a two about building their fan bases...

And that's the cool part- in addition to being entertaining...
See you on the field...