NORMAL, Ill. – It will be a very busy day around Illinois State Athletics on Saturday, April 9, as the day will be filled with several events throughout the day in what is being dubbed as 'Spring Fling Saturday'.
The day's events will be highlighted by the much-anticipated groundbreaking ceremony for the Indoor Practice Facility, which will take place at 11:30 a.m. on the football grass practice field directly north of Hancock Stadium. In addition, women's golf will host its annual spring invitational at Weibring Golf Club, softball will host Evansville for doubleheader at Marian Kneer Stadium and football will cap off its spring practices with the Kids Football Fest prior to the Red White scrimmage.Â
Parking for the women's golf invitational, the groundbreaking ceremony and the softball doubleheader will be free and available in lots surrounding those facilities. For the events at Hancock Stadium, parking will not be available in Lot G73 directly in front of the stadium due to private event in the Aaron Leetch Legacy Club. However, parking will be available near the stadium in Lots G83, F83, G82, G53 and F62.
Here's a look at the full itinerary for Spring Fling Saturday:
Women's Golf Redbird Spring Invitational at Weibring Golf Club
•   8:30 a.m. start, with 9:30 a.m. complimentary coffee and donuts in the Weibring Golf Club Pro Shop
Kids Football Fest at Hancock Stadium
•   10:30 a.m. gates to the stadium and registration opens
•   Advance registration is recommended with a deadline of Friday, April 8 at 4:30 p.m
•   A safety waiver is also required and will be emailed to advanced registrants and available for any walk-up participants
•   Event runs from 11 a.m. to Noon and is free and open to all kids ages 12 and under, with adult supervision
•   Activities include a catching station with the Redbird quarterbacks, a field goal station with the Redbird kickers, throwing accuracy, tackling stations and an obstacle courseÂ
•   In addition, participants will have the opportunity to dress up like a Redbird football player and get their picture taken with the ISU cheerleaders and Reggie Redbird
Indoor Practice Facility Ceremonial Groundbreaking at the Football Practice FieldÂ
•   11 a.m. event start, with program set for 11:30 a.m.
•   Seating will be reserved for staff and VIPs up front, however fans are encouraged to come watch the ceremonyÂ
•   The Indoor Practice Facility will be a heated, opaque dual-membrane fabric air dome with insulation pockets for planned year-round use
•   A 100-yard practice football field will feature a single end zone with run off areas and artificial turf to match the current surface at Hancock Stadium
•   The facility will be open to all Redbird teams, and when construction is complete, will ease congestion for ISU teams currently using Horton Field House as an indoor practice area.
Softball vs. Evansville at Marian Kneer Stadium
•   The Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader will begin at noon, with the second game to follow approximately 30 after the conclusion of the first game
Football Spring Game at Hancock Stadium
•   The annual Red White Scrimmage will kick off at 1 p.m. following the conclusion of the Kids Football Fest
•   Concessions will be available at the conclusion of the Kids Football Fest, so fans are encouraged to grab some food and enjoy in the stands while the team warms up on the field (no outside food or drink will be permitted).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
Â
