SALEM, Va. – At 9 a.m. you could find die-hard college football fans already camping out for the Stagg Bowl — but not the kind of fans you’d think.
“We’re here, so our team is here. We’re representing Raider nation,” fan Jim Rhodes said.
Russell, Jeronald, Jim, and Don — fans that live or die by the Mount Union Raiders — A team that didn’t make it to the Stagg Bowl.
”It doesn’t matter, we just want a good game,” Don Watts said.
They tell us they decided to go all out, regardless of who was playing.
”It’s the 50th Stagg Bowl. We decided last year at this time, regardless of who was there, fingers crossed that our Raiders would make it, that we was going,” Rhodes said.
They said they were disappointed to be the only ones tailgating early in the day.
”We’ve got enough to feed the parking lot, but we don’t have a parking lot of people,” Watts said.
10 News spoke with Stagg Bowl game manager Carey Harveycutter, who tells us hosting the 50th Stagg Bowl means a lot.
“We hosted this game for 25 years. And for the NCAA to tell us we basically want it in Salem for the 50th year, for all of the hard work we put into the previous 25, just warms your heart,” Harveycutter said.
Harveycutter said with so many people coming in for the game, it spells a huge win for Salem.
”It’s a nice boost to the economy in a time where there’s not a lot of traveling public,” he said.
Rebecca Mason owns the Dilly Dally, only five minutes from the Stadium, and said the increased traffic right before the holidays helps out.
“At the Dilly Dally, we’re all about spreading some sunshine, some Salem sunshine, and introducing our locally made products to all kinds of folks,” Mason said.
And as for the die-hard Raiders fans? They’re just hoping for some more people to celebrate with.
“We ought to get some complimentary tickets for this!” Rhodes said.