RELEASE DATE: 8/15/08

Mansfield Alum Paints Garage to Advertise Sprint Football

John “Jiggs” McHale wanted to let the world know how happy he was about the return of Mountaineer football in 2008.

McHale, a 1958 grad and member of the MU Alumni Board, decided to make his garage, located on Main Street in Taylor, PA, into a billboard for Mansfield’s new sprint football program.

“It’s just terrific that football will be back on campus this year,” said McHale. “I just wanted to do something to let people know football was back and the garage is in a high visibility area. I saw the billboard on the PA Turnpike and thought the garage would make a great billboard.”

"It's right smack dab in the heart of Taylor and everybody's going to see it."

McHale enlisted Ashley Spencer of Clarks Summit, a 2008 Mansfield graduate in art, to paint the billboard. It took Spencer, with some help from her sister, three days to complete the project.

Spencer will be working in the MU admissions office this fall.

After being without a football program in 2007, Mansfield has become a probationary member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) with Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, The United State Military Academy at West Point (Amy) and The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis (Navy).

The Mountaineers will only play the Ivy League school in 2007.

Mansfield expects to become a full member with a full schedule in the 2009 or 2010 season including games with Army and Navy.

Dan Davis, a 19-year collegiate coaching veteran, was hired as the head coach in March of this year.

To date there are 73 players listed on the preseason roster including 39 newcomers.

An announcement on four assistant coaches is expected shortly.

In accordance with CSFL rules, the team will not meet until August 26, the day after the start of class.

Davis is tentatively considering intra squad scrimmages on Sept. 6 and 13 before hosting Princeton in a scrimmage on Sept. 20.

The Mountaineers will play their first game on Sept. 27 when they host Cornell University at 12:30 p.m. at Karl Van Norman Field.