“The Fred Fanatics’ goal is to create an appreciation for Union University through support of our athletic teams. We want for Union students to have a sense of pride about being a Bulldog.”
This mission statement was uttered nine years ago by Will Spicer, class of ‘15, in a Cardinal & Cream Magazine article diving into the timeless traditions weaving together the past and future of Union University.
Almost a decade later, the goal remains the same, to inspire school spirit and create a sense of solidarity in the student section.
When prospective parents and students often ask me about my opinions of Union’s strengths and weaknesses, I almost always tell them that our campus organizations are the strongest part of Union’s culture. They are our greatest strength and greatest weakness.
After many conversations with recent alumni about their legacy, identity and reflection on their time at Union, I am constantly informed about their involvement and pride in being a member of a respective organization such as Greek life, honors, SAC, SGA or an athletic team.
Time and time again, the identity found in these clubs or programs supersedes the pride found in the one thing we all share as a part of the Union community: being a Bulldog.
As my time grows short at Union, I have found an incredible group of staff, faculty, students and alumni who are intent on building a culture of Bulldog pride through the resurrection and branding of an officially endorsed student section for our athletic events.
Over the years, Union has hosted many leaders such as the Fred Fanatics to ignite a game-day fire in the student body, but these traditions have come and gone as they graduate with the personnel who lead each game passionately from the stands.
This season, as a combined effort between the athletic department and the office of Student Leadership and Engagement, Union is hosting a competition to formally name and brand the student section, which will be debuted at Bulldog Madness on Halloween night to kick off the basketball season.
“I think it is important to have a brand to unify the student body to bring people together that wouldn’t be together in general,” Ben Van Neste, senior graphic design major, said.
With his background in logo and uniform design, Van Neste is working on creating a unified and university-endorsed brand that is recognizable to students while helping promote upcoming athletic events through theme nights and social media videos.
The naming contest originally started with 59 submissions that were narrowed down to nine by a group of staff, faculty, athletes and alumni. The nine were then sent to members of the Executive Council and select staff members, bringing the final number to three, which were sent to the entire student body to voice their final opinion.
“It brings a lot of power to the students and makes students more proud of their university,” Van Neste said.
The selection team looked for names that would be unique to Union, honoring our traditions and legacy while truly embodying student spirit.
The first pick selected was the ‘Fanatics,’ to honor the legacy left by the group who electrified the Fred through the early and mid 2000s.
The second pick is a nod to the current nickname given to the student body through the ‘Dawg Pound’ social media page led by Sam Scott, senior sports management major at Union.
The final pick is ‘The Blitz,’ also the term given to describe a group of bulldogs with the possibility for Bulldog Blitz alliteration and creative flexibility for multi-sport involvement.
“It will be a success if I come back in a couple years and I can come to a basketball game and see that we have a united student section with different themes throughout the season,” Trey Frierson, class of ‘22 alumni, said.
For Frierson, this initiative is a personal way for him to give back to an athletic department that saw him play three seasons as a starting outfielder for the men’s baseball team.
“As an athlete, I feed off students and my peers during my games,” Frierson said. “From my perspective, I have all these different friends that are at big universities, and they have regular students that show up for every sport and it is cool to see them interact with players.”
While Union may not be a big university, there is an incredible amount of energy and passion among the current student body ready to be reaped when the clock starts next weekend in the Fred for the first game of the 2023 basketball season.
With a new name, a unified mission and a remembrance of the past, students are able to apply to serve as student section leaders through the athletic department in an organization that looks to be sustainable for years to come.
As the name is released on Tuesday night, a new page is created in the Union story.
While players and students may come and go, Bulldog pride will become a permanent fixture in the plastic red bleachers lining the Fred.
“Any alumni that is able to come back and see that would be proud,” Frierson said.
