THE ISSUE: Saturday football game in Orangeburg

OUR OPINION: Big attendance could push Bulldogs over the top to be host for playoff game

Here’s your chance to do something special for South Carolina State University and Orangeburg — and enjoy college football at the same time.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion S.C. State Bulldogs this Saturday have a chance to finish an unbeaten MEAC season (overall the Bulldogs are 9-1) with a victory at home over rival North Carolina A&T.

There’s more at stake than a group of fans happy over another win.

South Carolina State is heading for the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. But the Bulldogs are hoping they won’t be taking to the road as they did a year ago at Appalachian State in the first round.

A win Saturday is important, as team record is part of the criteria for seeding in the playoffs — and where the game is to be played.

S.C. State is making a bid to host at least a first-round playoff game right here at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium. And they have a real shot at getting the nod.

That’s where Orangeburg comes in. A key factor in the decision-making process for playoff game sites is game attendance at the school.

This year, S.C. State is drawing record crowds, but a full house this Saturday would go a long way toward sealing the deal as that would mean a season attendance record for the university. Tickets are available at $30 for reserved seating and $25 for general admission.

But there’s a special just for this special game. The Bulldogs are offering tickets at $15 if the buyer purchases a block of 10 tickets or more. University and community leaders are urging people to gobble up the tickets to use themselves or to provide a way for others in the community or high school students to attend Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. game.

A sellout would send a message to the NCAA that S.C. State is the place for playoff football. And it would assure all that the university’s payment of a $30,000 guaranteed fee for a first round game is a safe investment, as the money is to come from gross ticket sale receipts for the game.

Just as the Saturday game vs. N.C. A&T is a big day for Orangeburg economically, a playoff game with thousands more followers of a championship team coming to town is a potential boon for the community. I gives the university and Orangeburg a chance to show off a place that has much to offer, including title-winning football.

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The Bulldog ticket office will be open until 7 p.m. Friday. You can call 803-536-8579 or 1-800-298-9157, or go online to www.scsuathletics.com

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