Stillman set to host Tuscaloosa's first football classic game

Tuscaloosa--- Stillman College and the Tuscaloosa Visitors and Convention Bureau have announced the Inaugural Druid City Classic football game.

The Druid City Classic will match the Stillman Tigers with the Texas Southern University Tigers for an October 19, 2002 battle at Stillman Stadium. Proceeds from the game will support Stillman's general scholarship fund.

The name Druid City Classic was developed to honor the city in which the game will take place. Tuscaloosa has been called "The Druid City" or the "City of Oaks." From its earliest days, Tuscaloosa was noted for its tree-lined avenues.

In ancient times the Druids were a class of Celts who held the oak tree in great reverence and conducted their rituals in oak forests. As Tuscaloosa grew, more and more oak trees were planted to add to the original forest trees, and for this reason, the city became known as "Druid City."

The Classic game should hold a special place in many West Tuscaloosa residents' hearts because it is also named for the old Druid High School, now Central High School West. Also attached to the "Druid City" tradition are the old Riverside and Bolter high schools.

"This is a promotional opportunity for Stillman College and the Tuscaloosa Convention and Visitors Bureau attract visitors to the city who will bring an added economic impact to the present sports activities in Tuscaloosa," said Richard Cosby, Stillman's Athletic Director. "We invite our students, faculty, alumni and friends to this historic event."

"The Tuscaloosa Convention and Visitors Bureau is excited about the opportunity to work with Stillman College and assist with the athletic program as we bring the Druid City Classic to Tuscaloosa," said Tuscaloosa Convention and Visitors Bureau director Robert Ratliff. "We are seeing the creation of a new event in our city and one that we hope to see become an annual event."

The October 19 battle will be the first meeting between Stillman and Texas Southern. The Division III Stillman Tigers had a good 2001 season, posting a 6-3 record and the Tigers from Texas finished a tough 2001 season with a 3-7 record. Texas Southern University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and competes on the Division I-AA level as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

As with most classic football games, the halftime show promises to be as entertaining as the game. The Stillman Blue Pride Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Lyle, will strut their stuff against the TSU Ocean of Soul in a battle of the bands

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